


Persona 4 Ask Prompts

by treya_barton



Category: Persona 4
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-05-26 06:46:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 34,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14995136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/pseuds/treya_barton
Summary: I'm using this as a place to store the Souyo ask prompts I receive on Tumblr~





	1. I Wouldn't Change a Thing About You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [livefree_13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/livefree_13/gifts), [AntisocialSocialite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntisocialSocialite/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was an ask prompt from Livefree to use the line "I wouldn't change anything about you."

Yosuke was incredibly excited as he boarded the train to Tokyo.  His parents and Teddie had come to see him off, and he had been getting messages from his friends all day wishing him luck in the city.  They were all busy with their own lives and weren’t able to make it, but it didn’t bother Yosuke like it would have two years ago. He understood and knew that they did care.  He had to pry himself away from Teddie who was crying his eyes out upon his brother figure finally leaving, and Yosuke had to wipe his eyes discreetly while boarding the train at the thought of leaving the place where he had grown as a person and leaving his friends and family.  He plastered a smile on his face and waved at his family once he found his seat, however, and ensured he looked as confident as possible to them so they wouldn’t have to worry.

He was happy to finally be returning to the city, this time as a more mature person who would be approaching it with a much different perspective than when he had been younger.  He was also going to meet the person he respected most in the world, which he honestly cared about far more than the fact he was finally going to be in Tokyo again.  After working his butt off his third year, he managed to get into one of the same universities as Yu, and he was moving out there in order to move in with his best friend – his partner.  Yosuke’s heart fluttered at the thought, and he ducked his head down in order to avoid having the people sitting around him notice his blushing face.

Yu had already been in their dormitory for a few days, and Yosuke had shipped out some of his bulkier items ahead of time for Yu to pick up and hold for him in the dorm.  Since Yu already lived in the city, it was easier for him to travel over and get set up.  Yosuke had a few final shifts left at work and the school year had run a bit longer than Yu’s, so it took him a bit longer to meet up with his friend. After a year without Yu, struggling with missing him and with trying to get his abysmal grades up to par, Yosuke finally felt like his life was coming together.  He didn’t know what he wanted to study yet but knew with his partner by his side he would be able to figure it out.

Yosuke listened to his music on his new headphones that Yu had gotten him for his last birthday, since his old ones had finally started to wear out.  They were much nicer than his old ones and he appreciated the better sound quality.  One of the things he was excited about with moving to the city was being on top of music again – it was hard in Inaba when he had to go to Okina to find anything decent and they were much farther behind and had a smaller selection than the stores he used to frequent in the city.  He had discovered so much good music perusing music shops and was looking forward to killing time doing that again.

After several hours, and a few line transfers once he got into the city, his train was finally pulling into the station where Yu had already messaged him saying he was waiting for him. Yosuke jiggled his leg in nervous anticipation, craning his neck to look out the window and trying to spot his best friend on the crowded platform.  His arms were characteristically crossed on his chest, although the moment his friendly brown eyes locked onto Yu’s calm, gray gaze, he unfolded them in order to wave excitedly.  Yu smiled warmly and waved back, before making his way through the crowd in order to get closer to the front of the platform.  Once the train came to a stop, Yosuke quickly grabbed his bag from the overhead and pushed his way through the exiting crowd, making a beeline for his best friend and throwing his arms around him.

Yu looked a little surprised by his enthusiastic greeting, but gratefully hugged him back.  “Welcome back to the city,” Yu greeted, before reaching over to grab Yosuke’s bag.

Yosuke tried to protest, but Yu took it anyway with his confident grin.  Yosuke knew there was no arguing with that smile.  Instead, he lightly punched him on the arm, before asking, “How’s it been going, partner?”

They began to chat as they headed toward their dormitory, which was a bit far from the station but close enough that they weren’t going to waste their money on a taxi.  As they talked, Yosuke soon began to notice that he was carrying the conversation more than usual, and that Yu seemed a bit withdrawn. While his friend was always the quieter of the two of them, when they were both hanging out together Yosuke tended to draw Yu out of his shell, allowing his true, sometimes oddball personality to shine.  Yosuke found himself missing that side of his friend, but he waited until they reached the dorm and Yosuke had met with the RA and signed his paperwork to address it. Once they were both in their small, yet already cozy since Yu had unpacked and put both their stuff up just how Yosuke would like it room, Yosuke turned to Yu and bluntly asked, “So, what the heck’s going on with you?”

Yu blinked in surprise, not expecting such a direct question from the brunet.  “What do you mean?” he asked, looking confused.

“Well, you’ve been quieter than usual,” Yosuke admitted.  “Like, I know everyone else expects that from you, but I know you. You can’t hide behind that calm façade with me.”

Yu blushed at his honest response, and he looked away bashfully for a moment.  Yosuke was surprised by his reaction, for that was usually the route he’d take; Yu always tended to be the more honest one out of the two of them.  “I just,” Yu started slowly.  “I’m nervous. We haven’t seen each other much in the past year, and I was afraid that maybe in that time apart, you’d realize you didn’t need me anymore.”  Yu breathed a deep sigh after unloading that from his chest, while Yosuke stared at him in complete shock.

They were silent for a moment, and Yu nervously looked around the room at anything but his partner while Yosuke let that sink in.  Yosuke reached out and placed a hand on Yu’s arm, causing him to flinch.  “Yu,” he said seriously, dropping the pet name which immediately caught his friend’s attention.  Yu met Yosuke’s eyes steadily, ready to face whatever answer Yosuke had, which caused the brunet to feel relieved.  That was more like his partner.  “I wouldn’t change anything about you,” Yosuke said resolutely.  “We’re partners – we rely on each other.  I don’t care how much time we’re apart – I’ll always need you.”

Yu’s breath caught in his throat at Yosuke’s reply, and he hesitatingly reached up to grasp Yosuke’s arm with the same hand.  “I feel the same way,” he replied honestly, his gray eyes looking searchingly into Yosuke’s.

Yosuke grinned, and without breaking eye contact drew his face closer until his forehead rested against Yu’s.  “You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that,” he replied, a slight tremor in his voice.  

Yu closed his eyes and soaked in the moment, before whispering hesitatingly, “Is it ok if…?” before trailing off.

Yosuke nodded his head quietly, and Yu then angled his head carefully before moving in hesitantly. To his relief, Yosuke met him halfway, and they warmly shared their first kiss, immediately feeling at ease once they realized that the other shared the same feelings.  They took it slow, basking in each other’s comfortable presence, using the moment to learn how to feel each other and what position felt right. When they pulled away, Yosuke’s face was bright red while even Yu had a slight blush on his cheeks.  “This is going to be an interesting semester,” Yosuke joked, trying to play it off in his nervousness and crossing his arms while looking away.

Yu laughed lightly, recognizing Yosuke’s defense mechanism and knowing it was just out of embarrassment. “I look forward to learning a lot, partner,” he said teasingly, and Yosuke blushed harder before punching him on the arm.  He was also smiling, however, and Yu found his heart skip a beat at his flustered expression.  It would be a semester to remember, indeed.


	2. Roommate AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was an ask from HanakoFujioka/Hanakoohayo. The prompt was to use the line "Well geez, if you don’t like what I’m wearing, I can go ahead and change" and for it to be a roommate AU. Livefree then wrote a follow up to this prompt called Ulterior Motive if you'd like to check it out: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14683422

When Yosuke and Yu had started the college application process, they had made a pact to ensure they got into the same school so they could be roommates.  Once Yosuke had been accepted into a school that had a good enough psychology and medical program for Yu to take, they had decided upon that one and had applied to be roommates during their dormitory application process.  They had been rooming together for a few months now, and so far, they had both been living the dream.  After confessing minutes within moving into the dorm together, they had slowly explored this new chapter in their relationship, their already strong bond making it an easy process.

Yosuke had never been happier, but he always had a sliver of self-doubt in the back of his mind that one day things would change or Yu would grow bored or find someone better.  Susano-o usually helped him navigate those negative thoughts, reminding him that while they are a part of him, he didn’t always have to listen to them, and that he had grown a lot since they had first confronted each other those few years ago in the Shadow World.  He felt those doubts a bit stronger today, however; he had just gone to see a professor about trying to pick out a major, since he was currently undecided.  The professor had tried to explain that it was normal to be undecided, and he still had another semester to choose since all the classes freshman year were general ones all undergrads had to take.  However, Yosuke’s anxiety had flared up anyway, and he felt himself struggling that afternoon.  Especially because Yu seemed so assured in the path that he had chosen, like usual, and had a strict program to follow for his undergraduate degree.

Thus, Yosuke immediately took it the wrong way when Yu made a comment as they were both changing to go to a block party being held by their dormitory that evening.  There would be free food, music, and other activities provided for the students, and they were both looking forward for something to do and for the free food, of course.  Yosuke had been anticipating this all week, and now found himself almost dreading it as he pulled on a tank top with his favorite band logo on it and squeezed into a pair of shorts that had shrunk in the wash recently and now fit snugly to his body.  It was hot outside since they were in the summer semester, and Yosuke didn’t feel like wearing pants instead.

Across from him, Yu had just changed into khaki shorts and a polo, preppy as always, but had paused upon seeing Yosuke’s outfit.  He stared for several moments, without Yosuke noticing, before asking, “Are you sure you feel comfortable going out like that?”

Yosuke looked up in surprise, and immediately all of the anxiety that had been building up all week reared its ugly head.  “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” he asked, an endless string of possibilities suddenly flooding his mind, each worse than the last.  The clothes looked bad on him, he had gained weight, the shorts were too short, Yu just didn’t like him anymore.

Yu seemed to notice the negative emotions whirling through his head, and he chose his words carefully.  “There’s nothing wrong with what you’re wearing.  You just…usually are more conservative,” he replied.

Yosuke, however, jumped to conclusions.  “Well geez, if you don’t like what I’m wearing, I can go ahead and change,” he said crossly, reaching down to pull off his tank top and revealing a hint of his tone stomach underneath; he had taken to jogging in order to keep in shape after the events of the Shadow World.  Thus, his body had remained tone and fit, something that Yu often appreciated when the shy brunet wasn’t paying attention.

He was surprised when Yu stepped across the room and reached out to gently grab his wrist.  “That’s not what I meant,” he replied, softly tugging Yosuke’s hand away and sliding down until he could take it instead.  Yosuke looked up into Yu’s gray eyes, started to realize that his boyfriend was blushing furiously.

“What did you mean then, partner?” he asked, now looking confused.

Yu looked unsure for a moment, before adopting a confident look that Yosuke knew by now was just a cover for when Yu was trying to hide his nervousness.  He then leaned forward and murmured into Yosuke’s ear, “Do you know how hot you look in those shorts right now?  They fit you like a glove.”  This caused a shiver to immediately run down Yosuke’s spine, and he found he was now blushing and felt heat pooling in his stomach at Yu’s tone of voice.

“Seriously?” Yosuke asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.  Now he really did want to change, although for entirely different reasons.

Yu smiled devilishly, and lightly tugged Yosuke closer to him by sliding his fingers into the waist of his shorts.  “Honestly, I didn’t want anyone else to see you like this.  It made me feel jealous,” he admitted, his heated gaze staring hungrily at Yosuke whose mind was reeling at the sudden turn of events.

“Ah, Yu,” he gasped in reply at the confession, and his partner immediately stilled, his eyes turning a bit more affectionate.  He had a weakness for when Yosuke used his name now, since he usually referred to him by their pet name instead.  Yosuke, happy to have finally gained the upper hand, leaned in to trace Yu’s lips with his own.

Yu sighed into the kiss before pressing Yosuke into his arms.  He then adjusted his head so he could take Yosuke’s lips more firmly with his own, delighted that Yosuke had initiated for a change, and wanting to show the man he loved his thorough appreciation.  When they both finally broke apart, panting slightly, Yosuke realized how incredibly tight his shorts felt now, and looked down before wincing in embarrassment.  He would definitely have to change now, and he carefully pulled them off before tossing them on his bed and trying to rifle through his closet to find something else to wear.  He was surprised when Yu interrupted him and tossed him another pair of his khaki shorts.

“Just wear one of mine,” he said casually, although Yosuke caught the excited expression hidden in his gaze and had a feeling he had an ulterior motive beneath his kind act.

Yosuke let out a huff, figuring he knew what it was, before quickly sliding them on.  While he had thoroughly enjoyed the distraction, he really was hungry and couldn’t wait to partake in the free food.  “How do I look?” he asked nervously, for Yu was giving him another one of his unreadable gazes again.

When their eyes met, Yosuke was surprised to see a slight possessiveness in his eyes that usually wasn’t there.  “My clothes look good on you,” Yu grinned, before reaching his hand out for Yosuke’s.

Yosuke rolled his eyes in reply, before firmly grasping Yu’s hand and dragging him out of the dorm before his partner held them captivated there any longer.  They’d definitely have to revisit this new side of Yu later, but he was not going to let it delay him from eating any further.


	3. This is Going to Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Livefree recently submitted an ask to use the line "This is going to hurt" and to write it as a battle aftercare fic :)

Yosuke couldn’t believe it when Yu leapt in front of him, taking a blow from the shadow they were fighting that was meant for him.  That was something everyone else usually did for their leader – in fact, Yosuke had done it for Yu more times than he could count.  Everyone had silently agreed that keeping Yu active in the fight was top priority, both for his leadership and for his ability to cycle through multiple Personas during battle.  It just made sense.  Plus, if Yosuke was honest to himself, he hated to see Yu get hurt, and the moment his friend had collapsed by his side he had felt a sharp pain in his chest and gut. He couldn’t figure out if it was guilt, or worry, or a mix of both.  He suddenly wondered if this was how Yu felt each time one of them did it for him.

He and Kanji quickly dispatched the last shadow before Yosuke kneeled at Yu’s side.  They had split into two teams – male and female – in order to train that day.  That meant that Yukiko with her superior healing magic and almost infinite it seemed SP wasn’t around to take care of Yu’s wounds.  “Hey partner, how are you feeling?” Yosuke asked gently, checking his friend for injuries.  He actually seemed pretty ok and only had some cuts and bruises from where he had been knocked over from the blow.

Yu grunted while trying to sit up, resting his head back against Yosuke’s chest from the effort.  “Pretty bad,” he admitted.  “Does it feel like this each time for you?”  He was gasping slightly for breath, and behind them Kanji was digging through their bag for the first aid kit.  Teddie, meanwhile, looked like he wanted to come over to check on Yu as well, but was barely holding himself back to give them space.  He had learned over time it was usually better not to crowd someone when they got hurt so their injuries could be tended to properly.

“Sometimes,” Yosuke admitted, gently running his thumb below a cut running up Yu’s cheek without thinking about it.  Yu blushed lightly, staring up at Yosuke’s concerned gaze in wonder.  “Why’d you do it, Yu?” Yosuke finally asked, worry plainly in his gaze.

“Why do you always take hits for me?” Yu asked softly in reply.  Kanji now had the first aid kit in hand, but upon reading the atmosphere had elected to stay back, trying to keep Teddie distracted.  He wasn’t at good at understanding what was going on, and Kanji didn’t want the bear to say something inappropriate that would set Yosuke off.

“Because you’re our leader,” Yosuke replied, and Yu frowned slightly, looking upset by the reply. Yosuke bit his lip, before letting out a sigh and looking away.  “Because it hurts me to see you get hurt,” he admitted instead, and Yu smiled.

“It’s the same for me, partner,” he replied, and Yosuke blushed.  “I hate it every single time.”  Yosuke was fiddling with the cord to his headphones nervously, while Yu watched him steadily, smiling at the flush on the brunet’s cheeks and the way he kept fidgeting over their conversation.

“Let’s get you healed up,” Yosuke finally said, meeting Yu’s gaze again and smiling at him.  He called upon Jiraiya and used his small healing spell to take care of Yu’s deeper wounds, allowing the boy to finally sit up and breathe normally again.  Yosuke didn’t have as much SP as Yukiko though, and would have to conserve it for the rest of the dungeon they planned on tackling that day for the training. Thus, he motioned for Kanji to hand him the first aid kit, and he began to pull out the antiseptic wipes and band aids for Yu’s remaining cuts.  “This is going to hurt,” he warned as he held the wipe up to Yu’s face, and Yu nodded before closing his eyes and waiting patiently.

Yosuke gently pressed it to Yu’s face, wincing as Yu flinched at the sting, before gently cleaning the cut and placing a band aid on it.  He did the same for each other cut, thinking back to similar moments when Yu had done the same for him in the past.  Once he was done, he glanced up to see a look of complete awe and adoration in Yu’s gray eyes, and he immediately flushed again as he felt his heart skip a beat.

“What?” he asked, suddenly hyper aware of the fact Kanji and Teddie were also with them.

“You were very gentle with me.  Thank you,” Yu replied with a teasing grin, causing Yosuke to punch him on the shoulder before standing up.  

“Ass,” he replied, before offering his hand to his partner.  Yu merely continued to grin, before grabbing it and allowing Yosuke to hoist him up.  If their hands lingered there for a moment longer than normal, Yu wasn’t going to say anything.  He then called the other two over, who immediately expressed joy that he was alright and asked excitedly where they would be heading next, while Yosuke stood by his side, one arm behind his head with his carefree grin gracing his face.  With Yosuke by his side, Yu knew things would always be ok.


	4. Do you wanna get out of here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Livefree sent me an ask on Tumblr for a Souyo with the line "Do you wanna get out of here?" I think she meant for it to be on the spicier side, but instead I ended up writing a hurt/comfort story. I hope you enjoy ^^

Yosuke watched quietly as Yu talked to the doctor outside of Dojima’s hospital room.  To anyone else, he looked cool and collected as usual, maturely handling the situation and acting like an adult since with Dojima down and his parents overseas, there was literally no one to act in that role for him.  Yosuke saw it though.  He saw the slight tremor in his partner’s hands, and how small he looked as he faced the doctor.  Yu usually felt like the largest person in the room with his steady presence and his natural leadership, but right now with his shoulders slumped and his back curved slightly from exhaustion, he was anything but that.  Once Yu was finished talking to the doctor and had popped in one more time to check on Nanako, he wandered back out to where Yosuke was waiting in the hall, looking a bit lost.  Yosuke watched him for a moment, before asking, “Do you wanna get out of here?”

Yu blinked in surprise, seeming to only now realize Yosuke was there.  He glanced back at Nanako’s hospital room one more time before nodding tiredly, quietly following Yosuke down the maze of hallways and out the front door.  It was cold outside, and Yosuke shivered before hugging his jacket close, but Yu didn’t seem to notice.  He was still walking in a daze, and Yosuke felt his heart ache at the sight.  It was crushing, seeing someone usually so full of confidence look so completely lost.  Yosuke began leading them to his house, not wanting Yu to be alone that night and figuring he wouldn’t notice in his dazed state until it was too late to protest.  He was thus surprised when Yu’s footsteps suddenly stopped, and Yosuke couldn’t help but slightly tense, mentally preparing himself for a possible argument with his stubborn best friend.  When he turned, however, he felt all that tension immediately evaporate into worry as he saw the wet streaks making their way down Yu’s cheeks, and the twisted expression on his face as he pressed his closed hand against his forehead.

“Yu?” Yosuke said gently, and a sob immediately broke out from the other boy who immediately wrapped his arms around himself like he was in pain.

Yosuke felt panic bubble up, but forced himself to squash it down in order to focus on his partner’s needs.  He reached forward, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, and when Yu didn’t pull away and instead leaned slightly into his touch he took a deep breath before pulling him forward, cradling him in his arms while Yu cried on his shoulder.  Yosuke put a comforting hand on Yu’s head, gently stroking his hair while Yu wrapped his arms around him in desperation.  “I don’t know what to do,” Yu finally confessed, once his sobs had quieted and his breathing had evened out.  He was still resting his head on Yosuke’s shoulder, as the brunet continued to hold him, feeling strangely calm now that Yu had quieted.  Having the other boy in his arms was comforting; he felt protective and like as long as he was physically with Yu he’d be ok.  He hoped that he was at least somewhat comforting to him too.

“You already did what you could, partner,” Yosuke said quietly.  “You don’t have to do anything else anymore.  I’ll be here, and so will the rest of the team.  You just rest and watch over them.”

“But,” Yu started to argue, and Yosuke felt some of that tension return.  He tightened his grip slightly, surprising Yu who immediately quieted.

“Yu, let me take care of you, ok?” Yosuke said.  “Even if you’re our leader, you’re still a kid like the rest of us.  My parents can fill in since yours aren’t here and I can support you in anything else you need.  You don’t always have to be strong.”

Yu sniffled into his shoulder, nodding weakly, and Yosuke relaxed again.  Yu finally pulled away a few minutes later, although he seemed reluctant, and Yosuke felt pain envelop his chest at his red-ringed eyes and apologetic expression.  He bit back what he initially wanted to say, knowing that it wasn’t helpful right now, and instead asked, “Are you feeling any better?”

Yu nodded, and Yosuke saw a glimmer of affection deep within the other boy’s weary and broken eyes.  “Thanks to you,” he admitted.  “I couldn’t…I have never done that in front of someone else before,” he admitted.  “Only you.”

Yosuke immediately flushed at the confession, feeling touched that Yu trusted him enough to break down in front of him like that.  He was struck by the thought that Yu usually dealt with it alone, and the pain in his chest only grew.  “I’m glad that you did,” he finally said, looking at Yu honestly.  “I don’t want you to ever deal with something like this alone again.  Promise me?”

Yu bit his lip, quiet for a few moments, before nodding.  “Promise,” he confirmed.  Yosuke smiled at him, still a bit subdued based on the situation, but Yu appreciated the little burst of energy it gave him. 

“Ready to head back to my place so you can get some sleep?” Yosuke asked, and Yu smiled slightly at that before immediately agreeing, walking next to him this time as they walked closely together back to the Hanamura’s to get some rest.


	5. I can't sleep without you here.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Received an ask from Yu Narumura on tumblr to do a Souyo with the line "I can't sleep without you here" I kind of tied it in with the same universe as Livefree and my The Surprise Trip story ^^

Yosuke returned to his hotel room, exhausted.  He had traveled out to a local music festival to represent his radio station, and was doing artist interviews and sharing fan experiences from people in the crowd for clips for the station.  They had also recorded a few live clips from the show to stream to people locally and it had required Yosuke to remain high energy for the entire day.  While Yosuke leaned more toward the extrovert scale and generally got his energy being around people, even for him it was a bit much and he was ready to decompress in his hotel room before round two the next day.  He looked at the time and winced, for it was to be early the next day and it was obnoxiously late, before pulling off his shirt so he could hop in for a quick shower.  The steaming hot water did wonders for his aching muscles and he was soon done, toweling off his hair while checking his phone for anything he missed while working hard all day.

There were a few messages from his friends saying they heard some of his segments on the radio throughout the day, rotating between teasing him and praising him for doing a great job, along with a selfie from Yu holding up their cat Hana with the caption “Fighting!” on it.  He couldn’t help but smile at that, frowning slightly as he checked the time again and confirmed it was probably too late to call or text Yu.  He didn’t want to wake him up after all.  He sighed before tossing his phone down on the bed and sprawling across it, staring up at the ceiling.  Although he was worn out and would be getting up depressingly early in only a few short hours, he found he was wide awake.  He missed a certain presence that would normally be cuddled up in the bed next to him, arm comfortingly draped across his waist, and he let out a sigh, picking up his phone to try to find a song to help him sleep.

That’s when he noticed he had a new message from Yu, and he raised an eyebrow before tapping on it.  He smiled softly upon seeing the message, ‘I can’t sleep without you here,’ and realized that Yu must have seen him pop on as active when he was looking at his phone earlier. 

‘Looks like he can’t sleep either,’ Yosuke thought, before quickly tapping on Yu’s name on his quick contacts and giving him a call, visibly relaxing when the other man immediately picked up.

“Hey,” Yu said, his quiet voice immediately causing pleasant butterflies in his stomach.  “You sounded like you had a lot of fun today.  Hana and I listened all day.”

Yosuke couldn’t help but chuckle at that, imagining Yu doing his daily chores in his house apron with the radio playing in the background.  “Hana miss me?” he asked teasingly, and it was Yu’s turn to chuckle.  He knew what Yosuke was really asking.

“Yeah, she did,” he replied.  “She kept sitting in front of your studio like she was waiting for you to come out.”

“Awww, she really does care,” Yosuke joked.  He then waited a moment before hopefully asking, “And you?”

“I waited in front of your door hoping you’d come out too,” Yu deadpanned, and Yosuke let out a huff.

“You know what I mean,” he pouted.

“I missed you too.  I miss you right now,” Yu replied, and Yosuke blushed at the slightly needy tone in his partner’s voice.

“I miss you too.  You’re not the only one unable to sleep.  Hell at this rate I may as well just stay up,” Yosuke said, glancing at the time again.

“What time do you have to get up?” Yu asked.

“4am,” he groaned.  “Gotta call the studio at 5 to prep for today’s stuff.”

Yu hummed in reply.  “Go ahead and get some sleep.  You’re awful without at least a little,” he said, and Yosuke would have protested if he wasn’t absolutely right.  “I’ll call you at 4 to make sure you’re awake.”

Yosuke perked at the idea of getting woken up to Yu’s sleepy morning voice, and said excitedly, “Promise?”

“Of course,” Yu said, and they wished each other goodnight.  Although it wasn’t as good as Yu being there with him, hearing his voice seemed to have done the trick and soon Yosuke was finally able to drift off to sleep.


	6. You heard me - take it off.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Livefree sent me an ask that was Yosuke "You heard me take it off. Take. It. Off." on tumblr~

Yosuke invited Yu over after school, claiming that he wanted to study even though Yu was fully aware his best friend would probably try to rope him into goofing off or playing videogames instead.  Teddie was out for the afternoon working at Junes, so the boys had the room to themselves for a change; it had been awhile since the two had just spent time together, since they were both often so busy with work and the investigation. 

When they arrived, Yosuke busied himself with trying to clean up some of the mess Teddie had left lying out, while Yu looked around the room as he waited.  Every time he visited, he would spot some new little thing about Yosuke which he would store in his memory for later.  Today it was a drawing that Yosuke had taped up on his wall that caught his attention.  It was crudely drawn but there was definitely one figure with blond hair and another that was a brunet and they were both standing next to each other in front of a house.  “Did Teddie draw that?” Yu asked, and Yosuke turned his head.  He immediately blushed.

“Yeah,” he said.  “He gave it to me so I felt obligated to put it up.  Can’t hurt the dumb bear’s feelings,” he said, a shy look crossing his face.

“That’s really sweet of you,” Yu said, smiling thoughtfully to himself at it, before his attention was drawn to something sitting on the shelf.  He picked it up thoughtfully before carefully setting it on his face, masking his expression to a perfect neutral.

“I don’t see how taping a picture to a wall can be swe…” Yosuke started to say, before cutting himself off as he turned to see what Yu was wearing.  It was the stupid gag glasses Teddie had made that always sent Yukiko into a fit of laughter. 

Yosuke gaped at him, wondering yet again at his partner’s sense of humor, especially when Yu deadpanned, “Would you still be friends with me if I looked like this?” 

Yosuke stared at the swirly eyes, big nose, and fake mustache before dryly replying, “Seriously dude?”

Yu inched closer to him, getting closer to his face with the same deadpan expression, while Yosuke tried to fend him off.  “Are you saying you wouldn’t be friends with me?” Yu pressed.

“Dude, why are you like this?” Yosuke whined.  “Take that thing off!”

Yu ignored him, pressing closer still, as Yosuke scrambled backward in his attempt to get away.   Then, Yosuke began trying to yank the glasses off his face in retaliation.  “You heard me.  Take.  It.  Off!” he said, finally yanking the glasses off Yu.  In the process, however, he stumbled and began to fall backward, feeling Yu grab for him in order to steady his fall.  Instead, Yosuke ended up pulling Yu down with him, and soon both boys landed painfully, Yosuke sprawled on the floor with Yu landing on top of him.

“You ok, Yosuke?” Yu asked in concern, noting Yosuke’s grimace as he lay beneath him.  Yu had braced himself on one arm and was carefully checking Yosuke’s face for any sign of injury; the brunet was easy to read and he’d be able to tell if anything truly hurt.

“I’m fine,” Yosuke said, opening his eyes before looking surprised at how close Yu was to his face.  Their eyes locked, and Yosuke felt his heartbeat began to pound.  There was something magnetic about Yu’s gray eyes and how he pressed so close to Yosuke, especially now that Yosuke had an expression he didn’t know how to interpret flickering on his face.  Yu studied Yosuke carefully, eyes staring searchingly into warm brown eyes that gazed back at him with a mix of wonder and confusion. 

Yu felt a tightness began to form in his chest – an ache that he had started to feel around Yosuke more and more often lately that he always tried his best to tamp down – and knew that he needed to pull away.  They had been staring for too long and this would only end up with Yu feeling hurt and things strained between them.  Yet, he couldn’t look away and neither apparently could Yosuke.  Yu was just about to reach out in order to adjust one of Yosuke’s bangs that had slid over one eye, when they were interrupted by a loud knock on Yosuke’s door.  “Boys, I brought snacks,” Yosuke’s mom called, and both boys scrambled apart, blushing furiously as the door opened and she stepped inside.  “Everything alright?” she asked, immediately noting the strange mood, and Yosuke furiously nodded.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” he laughed nervously, while his mom raised an eyebrow.  She knew her son’s temperament quite well, but figured she wouldn’t press him in front of his friend. 

“Now make sure you both get some actual studying done,” she teased before setting down the tray of food on Yosuke’s small table in his room.  “Are you staying for dinner?” she asked Yu, who was finally starting to return to his normal color.  He nodded, and she grinned before waving at them both as she headed back downstairs, closing the door behind her.

Neither teen looked at each other for several moments, until Yu tentatively reached for a strawberry from the food tray.  “Guess we should actually study a bit,” he suggested, and Yosuke let out a sigh.

“Can’t we just hang out some first?” he complained, and Yu grinned.  He had been completely right about Yosuke’s intentions.  “I mean, I missed you, partner.”

“You did invite me over to study,” he teased, but he quickly gave in when Yosuke began to beg.  He’d needle the brunet into studying a little bit before the evening was over, but for now would enjoy spending time with his best friend.


	7. My Mom thinks you like me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My friend steadfast-chaos on tumblr sent me an ask to write a Souyo using the line "“My mom thinks you like me. Tell her she’s wrong.”

Yosuke and Yu were heading to the Hanamura’s after school left out, excited that tomorrow was their day off and planning on enjoying a relaxing evening together since Yu was spending the night.  Yu always enjoyed staying at the Hanamura’s who treated him like an extension of their family in a way his own parents failed to.  At least his uncle was getting better about it, and he and Nanako were starting to give Yu a home life he hadn’t had in a very long time.  But staying with the Hanamura’s, seeing how invested Yosuke’s parents were in his and Teddie’s life, and watching Yosuke and Teddie bicker like real siblings, always brought him a warmth that he didn’t get anywhere else.

Yu was so lost in his thoughts, that it took him a moment to realize Yosuke had asked him a question.  He blinked and looked over at him, realizing that Yosuke was trying to look casual with his arm slung behind his head, but knew based on his flushed expression and worried glance that he was anything but.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear your question,” Yu said, and Yosuke let out an annoyed huff.

He then bit his lip.  “My mom’s been teasing me a lot lately, and it’s kind of driving me crazy,” Yosuke said.  He hesitated for a moment before continuing.  “My mom thinks you like me.”  Yu immediately froze, staring straight ahead, feeling his stomach tie into knots.  Yosuke turned to look at him, stumbling a bit as he continued.  “…tell her she’s wrong.  So, I can get her off my back.”

Yu was still frozen and tension was thrumming through his body.  He was suddenly finding it difficult to breathe.  “Hey partner, are you alright?” Yosuke asked, his voice sounding distant and muffled as if he was in another room instead of standing right next to him.  Yosuke reached out tentatively to put a reassuring hand on Yu’s shoulder, but the moment he lightly touched Yu immediately flinched away. 

Yosuke looked shocked, especially when Yu mumbled, “I don’t think I can stay over tonight, sorry,” and immediately turned and began rapidly walking away.  He thought he heard Yosuke distantly calling his name and squeezed his eyes shut, willing for the other boy to just let him go this time.  He had to sort himself out and couldn’t face him right now, not with all of his emotions in turmoil right now.  How had Yosuke’s mom been able to figure him out?  He thought he was careful.  There was no way Yosuke would be alright with his best friend – his partner – having a crush on him…

Yu was suddenly stopped by a tug on his arm as Yosuke grabbed hold and yanked him around to face him.  Yu was surprised to see the other boy was panting heavily and looked disheveled like he had been running.  That’s when he realized his own breathing was pretty heavy and that he felt tired like he had been running too.  “Hey, earth to Yu,” Yosuke said, staring him in the eyes.  His voice sounded clear again, and it made Yu’s heart ache at the concern in his tone.  “What the hell was that?”

Yu realized he was clenching his fists and released them, feeling strain in his hands from clenching them so tightly.  They began to shake slightly, and he quickly stuffed them in his pockets.  He didn’t know what to say.  Yosuke stood still for a few moments, thoughts racing through his head as he studied Yu’s expression, even though the gray haired boy was hanging his head and trying his best to hide his face.  “I don’t want you to go home,” Yosuke finally said.  “Not like this.  You said Nanako-chan was at a friend’s tonight and Dojima-san would be working late.  You shouldn’t be alone.  You…you don’t have to tell my mom anything.  I’m sorry I brought it up and freaked you out.”

He hesitated, and Yu looked up carefully at him through his bangs.  Yosuke was biting his lip and looking around, almost as if gauging if there was anyone nearby who could hear them.  “Whenever…whenever you’re ready to tell me…whatever caused this reaction.  I just want you to feel comfortable doing it,” he said, tapping his foot nervously.  His arms were also crossed in front of him, although Yu could tell it was more for comfort than the closed off stance he would sometimes adopt.  “I care about you dude.  You’re my partner.  And I want you to feel like you can tell me anything.”  Yosuke was blushing furiously now, and Yu felt himself began to relax.  In fact, his heart melted a little at Yosuke’s expression and how concerned he looked. 

Yosuke cared more about him than he apparently realized, and he was willing to actually let him talk about his feelings.  That meant more to Yu than he had thought it would, and he felt all of the tension drain from his body.  He wasn’t ready to talk about it yet, especially because he still wasn’t sure where Yosuke’s heart stood, but he was starting to hope that maybe his feelings weren’t a lost cause.  “I appreciate that,” Yu finally spoke, and he saw Yosuke finally relax too.  “When I’m ready…I’ll talk.”

Yosuke nodded.  “So, you going to come back with me?  My mom made some of those gyozas you like so much.  You know how long those take…”

Yu smiled gratefully.  What had he done to deserve a friend like Hanamura Yosuke?  “Yeah, I am.”  Yosuke looked relieved.

“Good.  Because I have soooo many plans for tonight,” he grinned, immediately chattering about the movies and snacks he had in store for the evening.  Yu smiled as he listened to Yosuke chat, watching him walk ahead of him with quiet adoration.  Soon, he’d tell Yosuke how he really felt.  And maybe it wouldn’t be as scary as he thought.


	8. Hey it's cold outside.  At least wear a jacket.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I received an ask from livefree on tumblr with the line "Hey it's cold outside. At least wear a jacket."

Yosuke had gone to Yu’s house in order to check on him and keep him company.  He knew that Nanako and his uncle both being in the hospital was rough on his friend, yet…Yu hadn’t really opened up to him about it.  And it stung.  Yosuke kept trying to keep his mind off of his hurt feelings, knowing that being there for Yu was more important, and that bringing it up now would just prove to everyone what a selfish jerk he was.  So, he was trying his hardest to be supportive and keep his feelings to himself, at least until things were better and Yu’s family was out of the hospital.  But dammit if Yu wasn’t making that difficult.

Every time Yosuke tried to carry on a conversation with him, Yu would just get lost in his own head again and it would die out.  Every time Yosuke offered to help – bring some food over or help with the chores – Yu insisted he didn’t need it.  Even now, Yosuke was offering to stay over for the night so he wouldn’t be alone, and at first it was like his partner didn’t hear him.  Then, “You don’t have to.”

That was the last straw.  “Yu, why are you even friends with me if you won’t let me support you,” Yosuke spit out, standing up angrily in frustration. 

Yu blinked up at him in surprise.  “You have been supporting me,” he said, sounding confused.

“I’ve been _trying_ , but you’ve been turning me down at every turn.  I know you’re hurting, but you won’t tell me about it or let me comfort you.  I mean, am I that bad of a friend?”  Yosuke felt angry tears welling up in his eyes, but stubbornly blinked them back. 

Yu was staring at him in bewilderment, and Yosuke felt his heart ache.  ‘Here I go being a jerk again,’ he thought, feeling a bit of his temper cool at the thought.  He knew blowing up wasn’t the right way to handle things.  Yosuke let out a frustrated huff, staring out at the sliding door and frowning when he realized it was snowing outside.  Of course, the one day that he didn’t bring his winter jacket.

Yosuke ran his hand through his hair before giving Yu an apologetic look.  Yu hadn’t said anything, but at this point Yosuke expected it.  “Look, at this point, I’m just being a jerk.  No wonder you don’t want my help,” he said.  “I guess I’ll just go home and cool off.  I’m sorry for always being such a shitty friend.” 

Yosuke then turned to head out the door, surprised when Yu grabbed his shoulder to stop him.  He almost felt hopeful for a moment until he said, “Hey, it’s cold outside.  At least wear a jacket.”  That only hurt worse.

Yosuke really had to blink back frustrated tears this time before pulling away, refusing to look at Yu so he could see how upset he was.  “I’ll be fine,” he replied evenly, before going to the door and slipping on his shoes.  His hands were shaking slightly as he tightened his shoelaces, and he couldn’t help but feel guilt eat him up inside.  He should really be staying and try to support his friend who was hurting, even if Yu wouldn’t let him in.  But he knew today he’d only get more frustrated and continue to make things worse.

Yosuke opened the door and walked outside, immediately shivering and wrapping his arms around his shoulders as the door shut behind him.  He could already see the ice on the road outside which meant running was out of the question.  This was going to be a shitty walk home, but he probably deserved it at this point.  Yosuke began trudging through the silently falling snow that hadn’t quite started to pile up yet.  He could tell that they would definitely be getting a few inches that night though.  He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he failed to hear the rapid footsteps coming up behind him until he felt a tug on his arm as Yu tugged him around to face him.

Yu looked furious, which took Yosuke aback.  Out of all the possible reactions his partner could have had, anger wasn’t one he expected.  Disappointment maybe, understanding often, but anger was new.  “What’s wrong with you?” he said, and Yosuke’s eyes widened.  “Why would you try to walk home in this weather?”

“Because if I stayed there any longer I would have been even more of a jerk,” Yosuke said, only now his voice sounded defeated.  “I just can’t sit around anymore and have you ignore my help.  It hurts.  It hurts so much,” Yosuke said, and he finally found himself unable to hold the tears back.

Yu looked taken aback.  “Yosuke I…I didn’t know,” he said, and Yosuke furiously rubbed at his eyes.

“You shouldn’t have had to.  You’re hurting way worse and I should have just supported you,” Yosuke replied.

“No,” Yu said, his voice showing some of his old authority that he had been lacking the past several weeks.  “No, you shouldn’t have been hurting either.  I’ve been a bad friend too.”  He stared at Yosuke for several minutes, and Yosuke could see how upset he looked now that he realized the impact he had on the brunet the past few weeks.  “But you shouldn’t have run out in the cold either.  You never take care of yourself Yosuke – you always worry more about how we see you.  You matter more than that,” he said, and Yosuke lightly gasped.  While Yu was always supportive of him, he rarely said anything quite that direct. 

Yu reached out and took Yosuke’s hand.  “You’re freezing,” he said with a frown.  “Let’s get you inside.”

“No, I’ll grab a jacket,” Yosuke started to protest, but Yu shook his head firmly.

“I’d…I’d like if you stayed,” he said.  “I have appreciated you coming to see me Yosuke.  I should have let you know that – let you help more.  I was just…” Yu sighed.  “I was afraid if I acted too needy you’d grow tired of me.”

Yosuke’s heart ached at the vulnerable expression on Yu’s face, and he suddenly wondered why Yu thought such a thing.  “I’d never grow tired of you, partner,” Yosuke said honestly, and he watched the tension immediately ease in Yu’s stance.  It was like after Yosuke had blown up at him, it had melted whatever ice Yu had placed over his emotions, and now he was starting to feel again.

Once they got back inside the warm house, Yu immediately pulled out blankets for the two of them, and they cuddled together under it on the living room floor.  Yu was quiet for a few moments before saying, “Honestly, I was the one being a bad friend, not you.  You tried all you could to help me, and I was pushing you away,” he confessed.  “So, I don’t want you blaming yourself again.”

Yosuke opened his mouth to speak, but Yu shook his head.  “I’m ready now.  To talk.  To let you know how I’ve been feeling.”

“You sure?” Yosuke asked, and Yu nodded.

“I trust you, partner,” he said, a slight smile crossing his face.  He still looked a little unsure, but Yosuke could tell that he meant it.

“I’ll listen as long as you need,” Yosuke promised, giving him an encouraging smile.  For the rest of the night, all the way into the morning, the two boys talked about what Yu had been struggling with, until just as the morning light filtered through the sliding door they finally fell asleep, Yosuke’s head resting on Yu’s as the gray haired boy buried his head on Yosuke’s shoulder.  Yosuke had a comforting arm around his shoulder, and they were both wrapped comfortably in the blanket as they slept.  It was the best sleep Yu had in a long time.


	9. What do you think you're doing to him?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> katoriaeku on tumblr picked out an ask with the line “What do you think you’re doing to him?”

Yu checked his phone, out of breath as he glanced up at the name of the bar, ensuring that he was at the right place.  Sure enough, he could see his boyfriend through the windows, sprawled out with his head on the table while the members of the radio club surrounded him.  Yu frowned, realizing that it looked like they were drawing on Yosuke’s face.  He entered the bar and made his way over to the long table where they were all gathered, immediately demanding, “What do you think you’re doing to him?”

The table quieted as they turned to look at him.  One of the guys who had met Yu previously recognized him.  “Oh, you’re Narukami-kun, right?  It’s just something we do whenever one of us passes out,” he quickly said.  “It’s all in fun – we all do it to each other, right?”

The others nodded.  Yu clenched his jaw, biting back what was really on his mind.  “If you don’t mind, I’ll be taking him home now,” he said, trying his best to remain civil.  Yosuke seemed to be flourishing in this club and he didn’t want to cause any friction.

“Oh yeah, sure,” the guy whose name Yu couldn’t remember said, helping Yu lift Yosuke up until he was able to support his weight.  That woke up Yosuke a bit who mumbled against his shoulder, and it allowed Yu to walk him outside while he ordered them a cab.  Yu had received a text message about fifteen minutes ago, barely legible which often happened when Yosuke had been drinking, asking for Yu to come get him.  Upon seeing the condition he was in, Yu was admittedly a little impressed Yosuke had the forethought to ask him to pick him up.  Yu had run all the way from the university where he had been studying at the library, not wanting to wait for a cab, especially when the bar was pretty close to campus.  It just annoyed him that instead of taking care of Yosuke – making sure he drank some water or otherwise attempted to sober him up – they were all drawing on him and laughing instead.  He felt anger coursing through his veins and did his best to remain calm; he needed to get Yosuke home after all.

Luckily, the cab soon arrived, and he managed to get Yosuke comfortably in the car before climbing in behind him.  The driver already had their dorm address from the app and they were soon off, Yosuke’s head resting in Yu’s lap as he gently ran his fingers through the brunet’s soft hair.  It was just as relaxing for Yu who needed to release some of his aggression as it was for Yosuke whose eyes closed at the touch.  Once they got home, Yu got Yosuke situated on the couch and forced him to drink some water before allowing Yosuke to rest, staying in the room with him while he studied some more to ensure his boyfriend would be alright.  A few hours later, Yosuke finally woke up with a groan, and Yu went to get him more water and some aspirin.

“How are you feeling?” Yu asked, trying to keep his voice even.  He had calmed down some, but he still felt a bit annoyed.

“Awful,” Yosuke groaned, while sitting up.  “Thanks for coming to get me, partner.”  He gave Yu a pained grin, before swallowing the aspirin and rubbing his head, trying to alleviate the pounding.

“Thank you for messaging me to come,” Yu replied.  “I’m surprised you could in that condition.”

“I could tell I was getting pretty smashed, so I messaged you before I was too hopeless,” Yosuke confessed.  “I’m really bad at those drinking games,” he sighed.

That reminded Yu.  He had wiped off most of the marks on Yosuke’s face right after he had passed out, feeling annoyance course through him with each gentle wipe with the facial towel.  “Are the people in that club really your friends?” he suddenly asked, and Yosuke looked up at him in surprise, hearing the coldness in his tone.

“Yeah, why?” he asked.

“When I arrived they were drawing all over your face,” Yu replied.

“Ah, yeah, we always do that when someone passes out,” Yosuke shrugged.  “It’s kind of a right of passage.”

“They should be taking care of you instead.  And making sure you don’t get to that point,” Yu argued, arms crossing his chest in a very Yosuke-like motion.  He had been picking up a few of the brunet’s mannerisms, and Yosuke couldn’t help but find it cute.  Yosuke also realized the underlying reason Yu was so grumpy – he had been worried. 

“They had been trying to sober me up before you got there,” he replied, his smile softer as his migraine began to reduce after the medicine.  “Trust me – they really are my friends.  I appreciate you being worried about me though,” he said, his playful tone creeping into his voice as he winked.

Yu frowned at him, until Yosuke opened his arms, beckoning him over.  Eventually Yu complied, walking over and crawling onto Yosuke who hugged him against his chest.  “I’ll be more careful next time,” he promised, placing a light kiss onto Yu’s silky hair.

Yu nestled his head into Yosuke’s neck.  “You better,” he grumbled, and Yosuke grinned.

“It’s nice knowing I have someone who will always come get me when I’m in trouble though,” he confessed, and Yu snorted.

“You already knew that,” he replied, his voice warmer now that Yosuke was holding him and was alright again. 

“Yeah, I know,” Yosuke’s voice was soft.  He began running his fingers through Yu’s hair, mirroring what Yu had done in the car, and the gray haired boy closed his eyes and felt his tension dissipate.  They both lay there comfortably for several minutes, basking in each other’s presence, until Yosuke ruined the moment saying he seriously had to pee, which lead to a round of teasing from Yu about all the times Yosuke’s bladder had ruined the mood.  Afterward they headed out for a late dinner, both of them glad that they didn’t have an early class the next day.


	10. I didn't snore, did I?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> livefreeordie13 on tumblr asked for Souyo with the line “I didn’t snore, did I?” (

Yu was a surprisingly heavy sleeper when he was tired. Especially since he was a pretty light sleeper on a normal night.  Yosuke had learned this the first night he slept over with Yu after saving Nanako when she and Dojima were still in the hospital.  Yu, who had apparently barely been getting any sleep, had passed out that night.  Yosuke had tiptoed around him at first as he went around his room and the house, trying his best to do some cleaning for his friend, but he soon realized after accidentally dropping things a few times that Yu was in too deep a sleep to react.  Also, when he was passed out like that, he snored.  Loudly.  Yosuke had been surprised by that, especially since the times they had slept over at each other’s houses or during a school trip, Yu had been a pretty quiet sleeper.  He was so loud, in fact, that when Yosuke finally collapsed on the futon they had laid out next to Yu’s bed, he had to put his headphones on in order to drown out the noise and finally fall asleep.

Yosuke wasn’t reminded of Yu’s odd sleeping habits again until college when they shared a dorm room.  Things were all fine until exam week, when Yu wore himself out studying for his tests and proofreading his papers over and over before turning them in.  On their last day of exams, he had finally crashed, and it hadn’t taken long for the loud snoring to drift throughout the dorm room, breaking Yosuke from his focus as he attempted to cram before his final in the morning.  He ended up having to escape into the common area to study and passed out on the couch out there, only making it to his final in time due to the fact he had set an alarm on his phone.  After that, Yosuke started to expect it, and could almost time it like clockwork.  At the end of any big project or test, Yu would inevitably crash, and Yosuke would pull out the earplugs he had gotten for himself after nearly missing that first exam.  Yu had eventually noticed them and had apologized profusely, but Yosuke had waved him off with a shrug, pointing out that it wasn’t something Yu could help and it wasn’t something he did very often anyway.

After they had both graduated college and moved in together, renting an apartment in-between where they both worked as they navigated their first jobs and dating, it became a more common occurrence early on as Yu was exhausted the first few months at his job as he learned the ropes.  Yosuke didn’t know how either of them had made it out of those early days with their relationship intact, since both had been grumpy and stressed most of the time.  They had somehow made it work, and eventually things had progressed until Yosuke had popped the question, leading to a small wedding with their family and friends present and the honeymoon they were on currently.  Which is what led to Yosuke tossing and turning as he reminisced not that fondly over Yu’s snoring habit.  Their first day of their honeymoon had been filled with activities, and they had both essentially been running around from early morning until late evening, and as a result they were both exhausted.  Which was why Yu was now snoring next to him, passing out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.  And Yosuke, who hadn’t heard Yu snore in years, had forgotten to bring his earplugs.

‘This is going to be a long night,’ he thought in annoyance.  He had pulled his earbuds out from his bag and was trying to listen to music to drown out the noise, but it was unfortunately not working anymore.  Yu needed quiet in order to sleep, so Yosuke had dropped his habit of listening to music before bed which meant now he was used to falling asleep to silence; the noise was merely keeping him awake.  He groaned and rolled over, shoving his head against Yu’s shoulder and silently cursing his partner.  He wished he could wake the other man up in order to do something about the snoring, but knew from experience when he was like this it was a lost cause.  He had a long night ahead of him.

The next morning, Yu woke up, surprised to see Yosuke already awake and curled up in an armchair, blearily staring out the window.  His heart sank when he saw the dark circles under his husband’s eyes.  “I didn’t snore, did I?” he asked hesitantly, and Yosuke let out a grunt.  Yu patted the bed next to him, and his husband made his way over, pitifully burying his head into his chest.  “I’m sorry,” Yu said pulling Yosuke closer.

“It’s not your fault,” Yosuke grumbled, although Yu could tell he was exhausted.

“We can just rest this morning.  Let you catch up on your sleep,” Yu reassured him.

“But, what about our plans?” Yosuke asked, although his eyes looked heavy. He looked half asleep already.

Yu pressed a reassuring kiss against his forehead.  “They can wait,” he said.  “Besides, this is our honeymoon.  We should spend some of it relaxing,” he reasoned.

Yosuke didn’t reply, already passed out, his quiet breath softly tickling Yu’s collarbone.  Yu smiled, already planning on grabbing earplugs while they were out just in case.  He then spent the rest of the morning cuddled up against his husband as he quietly browsed his phone, listening to Yosuke’s soft breathing and the distant sound of waves crashing on the beach right outside their hotel.


	11. You can stop hugging me now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu Narumura on tumblr sent me an ask to write Souyo with the line "You can stop hugging me now"

Yosuke impatiently tapped his foot as he stared out the train’s window, music blasting in his ears from his headphones.  He was traveling to the city to meet up with Yu so they could go check their test results from the two universities they had taken the entrance exam test to a few weeks ago.  They would be going straight to one once Yosuke arrived, and the other would be revealed the next day.  Yosuke was incredibly nervous, because he really wanted to go to school with Yu, but was well aware he had kind of waited too long to be serious about studying.  ‘What if I don’t get in and just prove what a massive disappointment I am?’ he couldn’t help but think as he watched the scenery zip by.

There would be a few more entrance exams he could try out for, but honestly these two were supposed to be the easiest ones, so Yosuke had been banking on getting into at least one of them.  He knew with Yu’s grades and study habits it wouldn’t be a big deal for him, and that the real pressure rested on his shoulders.  He had studied his ass off, and he had even travelled to Okina his third year in order to go to cram school on Saturdays since they didn’t have anything like that in Inaba.  His parents had been incredibly impressed by his dedication to studying, and his dad had even cut his hours at Junes in order to support him.  His mom had packed him a lunch for the train ride, but it sat next to him untouched since his stomach was tied in knots due to his nerves.  He figured he could share it with Yu later.

When he finally arrived in Tokyo, he saw Yu waiting for him at the station, gray eyes searching the windows on the train until they finally picked him out.  Yu smiled in relief, before raising his hand in a wave, and Yosuke half-heartedly waved back, earning him a slight frown from his best friend.  Once Yosuke stepped out with his bags and they bumped fists in greeting, he found that his anxiety had only increased instead of settling like it usually did when he saw the other young man.  It was like seeing Yu only made things more real to him, and he felt his heart pound in his chest.  He knew Yu noticed by the way his eyes trained on him carefully, but he carefully chose to ignore it for now.  “They posted the test results this morning, so it shouldn’t be as crowded when we arrive,” he commented.

Yosuke nodded, slowly following him as they headed toward the car Yu was borrowing from his parents.  It made traveling easier for them today since they would be driving to the school before going to Yu’s.  Yu helped Yosuke put his bags in the trunk, before he got into the driver’s seat with Yosuke climbing into the passenger seat next to him.  Yu pulled up a radio station with music he thought Yosuke would enjoy, but noticed when he glanced at him that the other boy was staring out the window and almost didn’t seem to hear it.  His hands were drumming on his knees nervously, but they were not in tune with the music like they normally were.  What was even more unusual was the fact that the brunet was dead silent, instead of being overly talkative like he usually was when he was nervous.  Yu wasn’t entirely sure how to approach Yosuke in his current mood.

“No matter what happens – you did your best,” Yu finally said, and he noticed Yosuke bite his lip out of the corner of his eye.

“I feel like I could have done more – should have been doing more before I started,” Yosuke replied bitterly.  Yu frowned, not really knowing what to say to that.  Yosuke, for all his intelligence, had been a pretty lazy student.  Once he started focusing and trying, his grades had improved significantly much to the rest of the team’s surprise.  Yu had always known he had it in him, however.

“Well, I’m proud of you regardless,” Yu insisted, and that got a small smile out of his friend.

“Thanks, partner,” Yosuke said fondly, and Yu blushed slightly at the tone.

They lapsed into silence for the rest of the ride, and after arriving at the school and managing to find a spot in visitor parking, they both got out and used their phones to figure out where the test scores would be posted.  They both had their test number memorized by that point, and as they made their way to the bulletin board Yosuke began to nervously tug at the cord on his headphones as he stared at it in apprehension.  Yu stopped and turned to face him, blocking his view to the bulletin board in the process, before placing both hands on Yosuke’s shoulders.  “Calm down,” he said, and Yosuke chuckled at the familiar words.

“We’re not in the Shadow World anymore,” he pointed out.

“Still applies,” Yu said sagely, and Yosuke had to admit, it kind of worked.  He took a deep breath, looking Yu in the eye to show he was ready, and the other man nodded before turning to lead the way to the bulletin board.  They both scanned the posted test numbers, both quickly spotting Yu’s, until Yosuke’s heart sank as he got to the end.  His number wasn’t there.  Typical.  His hands dropped to his side, and his shoulders hung in defeat, while Yu reached over to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder again.  “We still have tomorrow,” he said, and Yosuke nodded silently, as he mentally dragged himself down by his worse fears coming true.  He was a disappointment after all.

Yu frowned, not knowing what to say and wanting to be cautious so as to not patronize his best friend.  Sometimes it was better to let someone wallow for a bit before cheering them up, so they could get those negative feelings out of their system.  He was just glad Yosuke trusted him enough to show them honestly, and wasn’t trying to hide them behind a smile like he may have right when they first met.  “You ready to head to my place?” he gently asked, and Yosuke nodded, not looking up to meet Yu’s eyes.

Yu led him back to the car, the ride home even more silent than earlier, before parking in the spot his parents spent good money on every month and heading up to their spacious apartment, helping Yosuke carry his bags inside.  Once they arrived, Yu brought the bags to his room where a futon was already laid out for Yosuke’s use, before going to join him in the dining room where Yosuke had set out what appeared to be a packed lunch from his mom.  He was blankly staring at a letter that she had included, tears in his eyes that were threatening to spill over.  Yu glanced at it, wincing when he saw the kind words wishing him luck and letting him know that his family was cheering for him. 

He picked up the letter and carefully folded it up, tucking it under the cloth Yosuke’s mom had used to wrap his lunch, before sitting next to him.  “You know they’re proud of you either way, right?” Yu prodded as Yosuke sniffed.

“Yeah, I know,” he said, before grabbing his chopsticks and taking a bite of the pork – his mom had made tonkatsu for luck.  “Feel free to have some too,” he said numbly.  Yu could tell by the way Yosuke was poking at his food he wouldn’t be eating to much that day.  So, he helped him out, carefully pushing Yosuke to eat more as he shared in the meal, realizing how much he had missed Hanamura-san’s cooking.  It had been awhile.  Once the food had been finished, Yosuke’s phone began to buzz, and the brunet stared down at it with a stricken look on his face.

“I don’t want to tell them I failed,” he said, and Yu frowned before picking it up.  Sure enough, it was his mom.

He glanced as Yosuke before selecting the green answer button, bringing the phone to his ear and greeting Yosuke’s mom, explaining that Yosuke wasn’t ready to talk to them yet.  His mother was able to gage the situation, and carefully kept the disappointment out of her voice, instead telling Yu to let Yosuke know that his parents loved him and asking him to take care of her son.  She knew how moody he could get.  Yu promised before closing the phone shut, effectively hanging it up before sliding it back toward Yosuke.  “She says your family loves you,” Yu repeated, and Yosuke sighed.

“I know she’s disappointed though,” he said, leaning back in his chair.

“Not at you though,” Yu reminded him.  “Just at the situation.  And we have another chance tomorrow.  And more entrance exams to take.”

“I know,” Yosuke said, before sighing and running his hands through his hair.  “Ok, it’s time to stop wallowing in self-pity, right?  Did you have any plans for today?”

Yu smiled in relief, knowing that with those words Yosuke was on the slow path to building himself up again.  “Yeah, I thought we’d check out the arcade before going to this coffee shop for dinner.”

“That sounds amazing,” Yosuke grinned, and they soon headed back out, using the afternoon to forget about the exam results and focus on having fun and enjoying each other’s company.  The last time Yosuke had been in town it had been to take the entrance exams, and they had both been too busy studying to really hang out much.

After an enjoyable afternoon and evening, they returned to the Narukami home where Yu’s parents were home for a change and greeted them amiably.  They didn’t mention the results, since Yu had already let them know to avoid upsetting Yosuke further, and instead encouraged them for tomorrow, telling them to get a good rest tonight in order to face the morning with a clear head.  Yosuke appreciated the encouragement, especially since tomorrow they would be gathered with the rest of the hopeful students when the test results would be posted.  He was tired after traveling and the emotional turmoil he had been through, and he was surprisingly able to fall asleep as soon as he crawled onto the futon.

The next morning, they woke up bright and early, joining Yu’s parents for a hearty traditional Japanese breakfast as they prepared for a busy day at work.  They both wished the boys luck, and Yu handed Yosuke the note from his family as well, which Yosuke was able to read with a much clearer mind that morning.  “Thanks,” he said, grinning at Yu who nodded his encouragement.

They then headed out, taking the train over to the university, before making their way to the billboard where other hopeful students were already gathered.  Eventually, a faculty member came out and began pinning up the test results, causing an immediate murmur in the crowd as everyone craned to try to see the numbers.  Just like before, they spotted Yu’s early on, before continuing to scan through the numbers, making their way slowly through the list to ensure they didn’t miss it somehow.  It was Yu who spotted it first, and he felt his heart skip a beat as his eyes locked onto it.  “Yosuke,” he said, his voice catching, and the brunet turned to glance at him.

Yu merely pointed, and Yosuke’s eyes followed the direction he was pointing, until he saw it too.  “I…” he started to say, before trailing off and rubbing his eyes.  He then looked again.  There, clear as day, was his number from the exam.  He had been accepted into the school.  “I made it?”

“You made it!” Yu said, immediately throwing his arms around Yosuke and crushing him into his chest.

The brunet flinched in surprise for a moment, before laughing joyfully and hugging Yu back.  “I told you,” Yu said into his ear, and Yosuke merely tightened his hold. 

They stood there for several moments, lost in each other’s excitement, until Yosuke began to notice some of the stares from the surrounding crowd.  “You…can stop hugging me now,” he said, trying to pull away, but Yu pulled him closer instead.

“Just ignore them,” he insisted, and Yosuke sighed.  He had to admit, he was pretty comfortable like this, even if he wasn’t ready to say so outright yet.  He was still working up his courage to that.

“Fine,” he said, trying his best to sound snippy as he said it, but Yu could tell by the way Yosuke clutched his jacket that he didn’t mind.  They stood together for several more moments, basking in each other’s warmth, before Yu reluctantly pulled away.

“Call your parents while I let the others know,” he prodded.  Yosuke nodded and Yu couldn’t help but smile at the excited shouting he could hear through Yosuke’s phone when his family heard the good news.  Yu sent a message to the IT’s group chat, which was immediately flooded with congratulations from their friends. 

He also let his parents know, and his mom responded to let him know they would be home for dinner that night and would be bringing a cake to celebrate as well.  Although they had only met Yosuke when he had visited to take the tests, they had heard a lot about him from Yu and seemed pretty fond of him already.  Yu had never really had a close friend before and they were impressed by the way he had brought Yu out of his shell and by the fact he worked so hard to go to school with their son.  He and his parents weren’t as close as Yosuke’s family was, so it was touching to see them so supportive of his friend.  It helped him realize that although they were busy, they really were still invested in his life.

“We’ll be eating dinner with my parents tonight, so I’ll treat you to lunch in order to celebrate,” Yu said, sliding his phone into his pocket after bringing everyone else up to speed.  Yosuke had just wrapped up his phone call as well.

“You don’t have to do that,” Yosuke argued, and Yu shook his head.

“After all the times you treated me in Inaba?  We’re in my territory now.  It’s about time I returned the favor,” he teased, and Yosuke sighed.  He then lit up.

“Can we get chicken then?” he asked hopefully.  “It’s been a long time since I had some good fried chicken.”

Yu laughed at his request, but nodded his head.  “Anything you want, partner,” he said, and Yosuke beamed at him.  They then headed to the nearest chicken restaurant, walking close together as they began making plans about rooming together and what they thought college life would be like.  All of Yosuke’s fears and anxiety finally melted away, and Yu basked in the glow of his sunny smile.  He couldn’t wait for their first semester to begin.


	12. There's only one bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I received an ask on tumblr from Livefree centered around the line "There's...there's only one bed."

Yosuke and Yu arrived at the hotel that Yosuke’s radio club would be staying at that night for the club retreat.  They were all allowed to bring one guest with them since this was more of a bonding and get to know each other experience – they had some activities planned for the weekend as ice breakers.  Yosuke of course invited Yu and they booked a room together.  After checking in, they made their way over to the elevator to the floor they would be staying on, which would be down the hall from the other club members.  Yosuke knew that he and Yu had arrived a little earlier than most of the others, but he wanted to get his trip started early so it could feel like a real vacation away from school.  Yosuke used the key card to unlock the door to the hotel room and swung the door open before stepping aside to let Yu in behind him.  He then busied himself looking for the light switch and flicked on the lights before turning to check out their room.  That’s when he noticed something neither of them had expected.  “There’s…there’s only one bed,” he stuttered, and Yu glanced over at it before stepping in further to ensure they weren’t missing anything else in the room. 

Sure enough, although they had booked a double queen, they seemed to have ended up in a room with a king sized bed.  And there was no couch in the room so there didn’t appear to be a futon they could use as a second bed.  “Looks like we’ll have to share,” Yu replied coolly.  “Wouldn’t be the first time,” he added.  There had been several times in high school where they ended up sharing a bed like on the school trip or slept next to each other like in the tent.  But, as Yosuke’s brain helpfully reminded him, in those cases they also had Teddie and/or Kanji with them as well while this time they would be all alone.  And this time he had also become very much aware of the fact he had a crush on his best friend and partner and had finally grown out of the denial he had been under back in Inaba.  But, it wasn’t exactly like the could reveal that to Yu.  Not yet at least.

“Uh, yeah, just like old times,” Yosuke laughed, although Yu was able to hear a distinct nervous tint to it.  He gave Yosuke an appraising look when the brunet wasn’t looking and had busied himself with getting their luggage situated.  Yosuke then drew the drapes to look outside and see their view, looking relieved when they at least had a decent view of the grounds surrounding their hotel.  “I guess they didn’t screw everything up,” he shrugged, letting go of the drapes as he turned to survey the rest of the room.  The hotel room was of a decent size and other than the bed situation it seemed pretty comfortable.  He avoided looking at Yu and instead checked the time on his phone.

“We’ll be a bit early, but we can walk over to that izakaya we’re all meeting up at tonight.  We reserved a room so it’s probably ok if we’re slightly early.  We can get ourselves a drink and a snack while we wait.  What do you think?” he asked.

“Fine with me,” Yu agreed, deciding it was better to try to ease some of Yosuke’s anxiety for now.  They luckily ended up not having to wait too long, and were soon joined by several of the other radio club members who had also arrived early along with their guests.  They ended up staying up late into the night at the izakaya playing drinking games and eating, and overall they both seemed to have a pretty enjoyable time, even though Yu could tell Yosuke still seemed a bit antsy about the bed situation.  Which is why when they finally returned to their room and he caught Yosuke warily eyeing the bed again he asked, “Should I call the front desk and see if they can bring up a cot?”

His question broke Yosuke from his thoughts, and he immediately shook his head.  “No!  I mean, a cot wouldn’t be comfortable for either of us, and there’s plenty of space on the bed,” he quickly replied.  “I just…” he trailed off.  “Don’t worry about it.  I’ll be ok.”

“Are you sure?” Yu pressed, and Yosuke firmly nodded his head.

“Like you said earlier, not like we haven’t shared a bed before, right?” he replied.  He still sounded a bit nervous, which Yu found strange.  He couldn’t figure out what had Yosuke so worked up, since it’s not like…  Yu’s thoughts trailed off as a new thought entered his head.  What if Yosuke was nervous for the same reason he couldn’t help but feel slight anticipation?  Each time they had shared a bed in the past, they had company with them, after all.  This would be the first time they were alone, which meant Yosuke was more likely to let down his barriers a little.  Yu had been starting to suspect there may be a possibility his partner’s feelings had changed during their time apart, and he was hoping that night he may get a chance to test the waters…but wasn’t going to push anything if Yosuke was this keyed up.  Back in high school when they had shared a bed, he had appreciated the fleeting moment of closeness with his crush, and had never expected an opportunity like this to happen again.

Yosuke brushed past him in order to go the bathroom to change and get ready for bed, and Yu let out a small breath before grabbing his own night clothes to change into.  They both brushed their teeth side by side like they usually did at their dorm, before gingerly climbing into bed, carefully keeping a distance apart as Yu turned off the lights.  They both lay silently for several minutes, carefully still as if afraid they would disturb each other, too wound up to actually sleep.  Finally, after probably about half an hour of tension, Yosuke whispered, “You still awake?” and Yu turned around to look at him.

“I am,” he replied, and Yosuke sighed before also flipping over.

“This is dumb,” Yosuke grumbled, and Yu grinned.

“It is pretty dumb,” he agreed, chuckling slightly.

“I mean, we’ve already been rooming together.  We’ve shared a bed before.  Why does this feel…so weird?” Yosuke asked, throwing his arms up in exasperation. 

Yu regarded him for a moment, before replying, “Maybe…things are different now.  Compared to back then.”

Yosuke froze, before glancing over at him in surprise.  “Maybe,” he agreed.  “But…you’re still my partner, you know?  No matter what happens, I trust you.”

Yu sucked in his breath at Yosuke’s honest words, especially when he didn’t immediately try to take them back.  Instead, he continued to stare at Yu, brown eyes thoughtful as he appraised him.  Not for the first time, Yu wondered what was going through the brunet’s head.  Yosuke was usually pretty transparent, but sometimes he’d have moments like this and Yu wouldn’t know what to think.  “I trust you too,” Yu finally replied.  “Always will.”

Yosuke bit his lip slightly at his reply, before nodding.  “Me too.”  He scooted a little closer to the middle of the bed and relaxed, before saying sleepily, “G’night, Yu.”

Yu smiled softly, eyes drifting closed as he returned with a, “Night, partner.”

They ended up able to sleep soundly after that, and when they woke up the next morning tangled in each other’s arms, neither of them was particularly surprised by it.  In fact, Yosuke took it as an excuse to fall back asleep, feeling warm and comfortable in his partner’s arms.  And Yu couldn’t help but treasure the moment, pulling Yosuke closer and feeling content. 


	13. Your smile is beyond gorgeous...please keep doing it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I promised livefree if she finished one of her WIPs I would write a prompt for her, and she chose "Your smile is beyond gorgeous...please keep doing it." Hopefully it lives up to your expectations livefree ^^

It was another long shift at Junes.  Yosuke supposed he was fortunate that instead of working in a customer service-based role today, he was instead changing out shelves for new planograms that had come in.  It was labor intensive, and he’d definitely be worn out by the time he got home, but at least he was more likely to be in a better mood.  Yosuke had just gotten the shelves set properly and was standing back to make sure they were all straight and aligned, when he felt someone come up behind him and lean in uncomfortably close.

“Excuse me, but I’m looking for the produce aisle,” a very familiar voice murmured next to his ear, and Yosuke immediately felt a shiver down his spine as he sighed in annoyance.

“You know where the produce aisle is,” he rolled his eyes, before stepping away and turning to see his partner Narukami Yu standing there and giving him a cheesy grin.  Yosuke shook his head before turning to get back to work – he had U-boats full of product to fill after all.

Yu didn’t seem to be finished though.  “Have you been working here long?  I don’t remember seeing someone as fine as you here before,” Yu said casually, and Yosuke could feel his friend’s eyes trained on him. 

‘What game is he playing this time?’ Yosuke thought, trying his best to ignore him.  Sometimes Yu got into these strange moods, and Yosuke could never tell how truthful he was being because he usually did it with his normal, stoic expression.  Yosuke glanced back and caught Yu’s eyes whose face did have a stoic expression although his eyes couldn’t hide his mischievous intent.

“Are you free after work, because I’d like to get to know you better,” Yu added, and Yosuke shook his head.

“Are you bored?” he asked with a frown, before moving to one of the U-boats to start putting out product.  He had already tagged the shelves so everything was ready to go.

“Who’d ever be bored around someone as attractive as you?” Yu replied nonchalant, and Yosuke froze before turning to look at him.  His face was slightly flushed – this was strange, even for Yu, and he didn’t know what to make of it.

“Dude.  I’m at work.  Can’t you wait until I’m done,” he asked, his voice slightly strangled.

Yu grinned triumphantly, and Yosuke felt his annoyance falter slightly at the sight.  “So, does that mean you’re free?” he pressed, and the beleaguered Junes employee let out a sigh.

“Yeah, yeah.  Do you want my number too?” he asked sarcastically, and to his amusement Yu actually did scribble something down on a post it before slipping it into Yosuke’s apron pocket.

‘Call me,’ Yu mouthed before walking off, likely going to the produce aisle, and Yosuke shook his head before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the post it.  Yu had scribbled out, ‘You look hot today,’ with a winky face, and Yosuke chuckled before sliding it back into his pocket.  His partner was just too weird sometimes.

When Yosuke got off work, tired and sore as expected, he was a bit surprised to find Yu actually waiting for him outside as promised.  “Want to get a bite at Aiya’s?” Yu asked.  “Or are you too tired?”

“I am tired, but I think I’m hungrier,” Yosuke admitted honestly.  “What was all of that earlier, by the way?” he asked.

“What was what?” Yu feigned innocence as they headed on their way.

Yosuke shook his head, but soon Yu had him talking about the game he had been playing lately, and Yu’s strange behavior earlier slipped Yosuke’s mind.  It wasn’t until they were at Aiya’s and Yosuke was smiling happily at the beef bowl as it was slid in front of him, that he was startingly reminded as Yu leaned over in his chair, practically resting his head on Yosuke’s shoulder as he murmured, “Your smile is beyond gorgeous – please, keep doing it.”

Yosuke turned bright red and immediately smacked Yu on the shoulder, suddenly feeling flustered and not knowing why.  Just like before, Yu’s voice so close to his ear had sent a flutter down his spine, and he suddenly felt hot and had no idea why.  Also, while he expected Yu’s eyes to be teasing or amused, instead they were staring at Yosuke with a softness and admiration that the brunette rarely saw in him.  And he was starting to become uncomfortably aware that maybe the only other person he saw such an expression on Yu’s face for was Nanako. 

Suddenly, Yosuke’s mouth felt dry, and he quickly looked away in order to take a sip of his water, trying to ignore the look he had just seen in his partner’s eyes.  When he glanced back afterward, Yu’s expression had slipped back to normal, and he was thoughtfully taking a bite of his food.  Yosuke frowned down at his own bowl, trying to get his emotions under check before also eating.  The rest of the evening, both boys kept stealing glances at each other when they thought the other wasn’t looking, while Yosuke internally debated over Yu’s attitude that night and what he meant by it.  And more importantly, what Yosuke’s suddenly excited feelings in reaction meant. 

‘Maybe I shouldn’t think of it…’ he thought to himself, until he remembered yet again the feeling of Yu’s voice as he told him he had a gorgeous smile.  Yosuke immediately flushed again, realizing he was probably going to be having some strange dreams that night.  He didn’t notice that next to him, Yu looked slightly satisfied and smiled into his food.


	14. Wait, don't pull away.  I want to hug you for awhile longer.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I also promised Yu Narumura that once he finished his lovely art for livefree and my story Yosuke's Surprise Trip that I would write him a prompt as well. Definitely check out that story to see his lovely art!

Yu groggily woke up to the feeling of arms wrapping around his torso as he was drawn close to a very familiar chest.  He buried his head into his boyfriend’s shoulder, while sleepily muttering, “G’mornin’,” into his ear.  It had surprised Yosuke when they finally started living together to realize that while Yu tended to get up before he did, he was actually pretty useless right after he woke up.  It took Yu usually 20-30 minutes to get out of bed, although once he was up he soon morphed into his usual self.  It just normally happened while Yosuke was still asleep, so he had never noticed back when they used to spend the night at each other’s place in Inaba.

Yosuke couldn’t help but grin at Yu’s sleepy expression as he closed his eyes and wrapped one arm around Yosuke’s waist as a sort of half hug.  Yosuke wasn’t sure why he was up so early, but after waking up to Yu’s adorable sleeping face, he had immediately felt the urge to hug him.  He honestly wasn’t even that guilty about waking him up because his groggy face was just as cute.  Yosuke smiled to himself at the thought and used one hand the lazily run his fingers through Yu’s silky gray hair as the other continued to keep Yu hugged firmly against his chest.  After about 20 minutes, like clockwork Yu began to stir, and when his gray eyes glanced up to meet Yosuke’s they looked bright and awake.  “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, and Yosuke shrugged.

Yu let out a light yawn before trying to wiggle free of Yosuke’s grasp, letting out a soft sigh when Yosuke merely tightened his hold.  “Wait, don’t pull away,” Yosuke whined.  “I want to hug you for awhile longer…”

“I need to get up and make us breakfast,” Yu insisted, and Yosuke shook his head.

“No – this seems like a much better use of our time,” he replied, and Yu frowned.

“Your stomach won’t be saying that when it’s growling at work,” he warned.

“My stomach can easily grab something on the way to work,” Yosuke retorted.  “But I can’t get back our minutes together in the morning.”

Yu quieted at that before snaking his arms around Yosuke again to return the hug and show his defeat.  Yosuke grinned triumphantly, and even though he later did end up feeling a bit hungry at work, he didn’t mind.  Just lying with Yu in his arms in their warm bed was definitely worth it.


	15. I know I shouldn't be here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got an ask prompt from Livefree on Tumblr for Souyo "I know I shouldn't be here." Just a warning, the prompt list was for soft angst and this is definitely slight angst with a happy ending~

“I like you.”  The moment the words slipped out of Yu’s mouth, it was like the world suddenly slowed down.  He registered the look of shock that spread across Yosuke’s face as he glanced over at him, his character on screen getting hit by an attack from a monster which caused him to scramble and pause the game before resting the controller on the floor in front of him.  Yu was over at the Hanamura’s while visiting Inaba for summer break, and after wavering back and forth over whether or not he should confess to Yosuke, he finally resolved to do it.  And already, as Yosuke stared at him for what felt like ages without saying anything, Yu was starting to regret it.  ‘I thought getting it off my chest was supposed to make me feel better,’ he thought as he nervously waited for Yosuke to respond.

Yosuke looked away, before joking, “Well, I would hope so, partner, or else I’d have to wonder about calling you my best friend this whole time.”

“Not like that,” Yu quickly clarified, and he noted the sudden set of Yosuke’s shoulders at his words.  He knew that Yosuke had understood what he meant by his reaction, but also knew that deflecting through humor was his natural defense mechanism.  If Yu was going to do this, though, he had to make sure Yosuke understood.  To his credit, Yosuke didn’t move away, and instead stared down at the ground with his arms crossed as he considered Yu’s words.

After several slow, agonizing minutes, he slowly responded, “Yu…I don’t know what to say.”  Yu’s heart clenched, because he was used to Yosuke always having something to say, even if it was just blurting something out, and he didn’t know how to take that.  Yosuke lifted his head to look at him, biting the corner of his lip as his mind was obviously racing with this new information, and Yu took a steady breath.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said honestly.  “I just…wanted to let you know.  We can still be friends – I don’t expect you to feel the same way.”  He tried to keep his gaze as steady as always, although internally he could find himself wavering.  Yosuke mulled over his words before slowly nodding.

“Of course you’re still my best friend,” he said.  “I’m still going to take time to…you know.  Consider.” For some reason, that thought seemed to cause Yu more anxiety than if Yosuke had just brushed it off and left it off at them being friends.  He bravely stuck around for a bit longer though, trying to get things to at least feel normal before he returned home, even if the whole time he felt sick to his stomach.  He couldn’t believe that he had actually confessed and that his feelings were out there now, and he certainly didn’t know where this left him and Yosuke even if the brunet seemed ok with his feelings at least and still wanted to be friends.

Once Yu got back to his room at his uncle’s place, he started pacing around, wishing there was something he could do in order to calm himself down.  He briefly considered origami or working on one of his model kits, but he had a feeling he was too worked up for something so monotonous or detail oriented.  He never got this restless and didn’t know how to deal with it.  Eventually, he made his way to the couch, laying down on it and forcing himself to stay still as he stared up at the ceiling, hands folded on his stomach. 

Both his heart and his mind were racing, and he couldn’t help but feel slight regret at telling Yosuke how he felt.  Normally by now Yosuke would have sent him a message asking if he had gotten home alright or just generally chatting before bed, but Yu’s phone hadn’t buzzed even once to let him know he had a message or any other kind of notification.  Yu mentally decided he would hold off on contacting Yosuke until he was ready to talk, figuring if he wanted time to consider he would give him that time.  It helped that he didn’t know how to face Yosuke either and figured his heart wouldn’t be ready to act the part of just friends right away anyway.

Yu managed to make it through a few days of complete silence from the other young man, busying himself with visiting other friends who were happy to have him in town and excited to see him, along with taking care of his cousin and spending time with her and his uncle in the evenings.  Even with all of that distraction, however, his mind would often drift back to thoughts of Yosuke, and he would find himself wondering how the brunet was doing, what he was feeling, and whether or not he really wanted to stay friends after all.  The complete silence was getting to him.  Finally, by the fourth day of silence, Yu couldn’t take it anymore and he made his way back to the Hanamura household, buzzing the door and being let inside by an excited Teddie who demanded to know why he hadn’t been over in a few days.  When Yu was in town, he was used to his sensei visiting at least every other day, with Yosuke either going to see him or both of them meeting in town on the other days.  It certainly felt odd being in Inaba and not seeing Yosuke at least for a little bit at some point during the day.

“Is Yosuke home?” Yu asked, trying his best to appear stoic and unaffected while inside he felt somehow even more nervous than when he had confessed.

“He’s been locked up in his room and won’t let me in,” Teddie replied, giving Yu his most dramatic pouting face.  “I’ve been beary worried about him!”

Yu felt his heart sink at his words, and found his gaze traveling up the stairs in the direction of Yosuke’s room.  “I’m sure he’ll talk to sensei though,” Teddie added confidently, giving him a little push toward the stairs.

“Hopefully so, Teddie,” Yu replied.  “I’ll go check on him.” 

He hesitantly made his way upstairs, stopping at Yosuke’s door and gathering himself together before rapping his knuckles on the door.  He knew that his knock would be very familiar to Yosuke, and he could tell by the sudden thud on the other side of the door and light curse from his partner that he had definitely heard him.  Yu felt his heart skip a beat at the sound, suddenly realizing how much he had missed his best friend, and he did not have time to brace himself for the moment Yosuke flung his door open.  He looked a bit tired, but definitely better than Yu was expecting after hearing he had holed himself up in his room for the past few days, and based on the nervous smile he shot him he at least seemed happy to see Yu, even if he looked about as torn up over the situation as he was.  Yu felt the words tumble out of his mouth before he could even think, suddenly knowing what it must feel like for Yosuke whenever he did the same.  “I know I shouldn’t be here,” he said, and Yosuke’s brows furrowed together in confusion.  “I wanted to give you time to consider but…” Yu let out a deep breath.  “I wanted to see you.”

He stared at Yosuke, uncharacteristically vulnerable, and felt relief when Yosuke stepped aside and ushered him in before closing the door behind him.  They ended up sitting on the floor where Yu had confessed the other day, Yu kneeling with his hands on his knees like he was visiting his grandparents or another relative instead of his best friend.  Yosuke, meanwhile, was sitting cross-legged with his hands draped in his lap.  “I never want you to feel like you shouldn’t be here,” Yosuke started, glancing over at Yu.  “Also, I’m sorry I didn’t message you.  I guess…I was the same.  I wanted to have an answer first.  I know if you messaged me after I confessed and was waiting for an answer, it would have driven me crazy.”

“I missed you though,” Yu replied, and Yosuke sighed.

“Yeah, I missed you too.  I guess it’s also kind of jerky to not say anything either, isn’t it.”  He looked down, picking at the bottom of his signature red pants with one hand as he gathered himself together.  Yu gave him time, able to tell that Yosuke was working up the courage to say something.

“I thought a lot about my feelings.  For you.  And what I could say,” Yosuke started.  “I was kind of in a spiral after you left.”  Yu flinched, and Yosuke quickly turned, placing a hand on his arm.  “It’s not your fault though.  I honestly,” Yosuke started, then stopped.  He took another deep breath before continuing.  “These were things I had been thinking about even before you confessed.  You just kind of forced me to confront them.”  Yu stilled, staring at Yosuke, suddenly unsure as to what he would say next.  He had come in pretty certain that Yosuke would apologize and ask to just be friends, so he was suddenly in unknown territory.

Yosuke was staring at him intently, as if he was wishing Yu could just hear what he wanted to say if he thought hard enough without having to actually say it.  Yu stared back at him, suddenly feeling hopeful but trying his best not to get his hopes up too much.  “And?” Yu gently prodded, staring in amazement as a light blush suddenly colored Yosuke’s cheeks.

“And I like you too, partner,” Yosuke said, face turning an even brighter red as Yu beamed at him in admiration, catching Yosuke’s hand as he tried to cover his face in embarrassment and showing him how happy he was.

“Really?” he asked, and Yosuke nodded, tugging his hand away so he could then link their fingers together to hold Yu’s hand instead.

“Yeah,” he said, throat suddenly dry.  “I probably have for awhile, to be honest.”

“Yosuke,” Yu breathed, before reaching over to pinch Yosuke’s cheek, causing the brunet to glare at him.

“I told you, dude, that’s not how that works,” he said, before reaching forward and pinching Yu’s cheek instead.  The silver haired man laughed, suddenly feeling giddy at Yosuke’s reply, while the brunet gave him a bemused look.  Yosuke then spread his free arm out in encouragement, and Yu leaned in so Yosuke could wrap his arm around him.  “It’s probably going to be a slow process, and I’m going to be really shy at first,” Yosuke said, voice stammering slightly as he spoke.  “But, if you can be patient with me…”

“Always,” Yu replied firmly, burying his head against Yosuke’s soft band t-shirt he liked to wear all the time.  Yosuke was clutching Yu’s polo at his back as he clung to him in relief.  “We can go as slow as you need.  I’m just so happy.” 

“Jeeze,” Yosuke replied, although Yu could tell it was in a fond way.  He reached up with his free hand to tug at the back of Yosuke’s hair, suddenly wishing it was as long as it had been last year so he could really bury his fingers in his locks like he used to fantasize over, even if the cut was very attractive on Yosuke.  Although if Yu was honest, Yosuke could probably pull off any hairstyle with his handsome face.  “I guess I should go let Ted see my face so he can stop moping,” he sighed, and Yu chuckled into his shoulder.

“He was beary worried about you,” he replied, and Yosuke whined into his ear.

“Don’t ever do that again,” he replied, causing Yu to laugh again.  Yosuke reluctantly let Yu go, and the silver haired man pulled away, before looking at Yosuke with a soft expression he had only seen once or twice from him.  Yosuke suddenly realized he wanted to get to see it more often, and reveled in the small treat he was getting now.

“But Yosuke,” Yu deadpanned, adopting Teddie’s high pitch as Yosuke winced.  It totally ruined the mood.

“I said no, Yu,” he replied, ignoring the amused grin that had spread across his partner’s face.  “He’s probably going to be all over us though so don’t expect any alone time this afternoon.”  Yosuke sounded weary, but Yu could tell by the set of his shoulders that he felt bad about worrying the blond.

“That’s fine by me,” Yu replied.  “As long as we’re together.”  Yosuke flushed at that, shooting Yu a shy smile before leading him downstairs, immediately getting accosted by Teddie who nearly tackled him in a hug and demanded they go out for topsicles to pay him back for all the distress Yosuke had caused him.  Yu watched them bicker in amusement, and he couldn’t help but feel peace wash over him as they headed out the door, Yosuke’s arm slung around his shoulder as usual as they made their way to the shopping district.  Only this time Yosuke pressed against him closer than usual, and Yu found his own arm subtly making its way around Yosuke’s waist as well.  Teddie didn’t seem to notice as he happily chattered about what flavor topsicle he would get today, although Yu honestly didn’t mind if he did.  And since Yosuke didn’t immediately pull away or seem bother by the touch, it looked like he didn’t either.  Yu was suddenly glad he had confessed after all, finding all of the anxiety worth it if this was the final outcome.


	16. I have you shoved against the wall but now I can't stop looking at your mouth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Livefree sent me a Souyo ask on Tumblr: "I have you shoved against the wall but now I can’t stop looking at your mouth" After tossing some ideas with Lod I ended up with this story. I hope you like it ^^ It is mildly dark at the beginning with canon typical violence.

It was supposed to have been an easy day.  Yu had scheduled the team a training day in the Shadow World, limiting them to the lower levels of Naoto’s dungeon which they had fully explored and were quite capable of handling any shadow with ease.  He even had them split up, figuring that in smaller groups their training would be more effective.  He ended up partnering with Yosuke, much to his partner’s delight and the dismay of both Rise and Teddie especially who had hoped to get to spend some time with the silver haired teen.  Yu had instead paired off the first years with Teddie in one group since they had the least amount of experience in the dungeons, while Chie and Yukiko formed a group and he and Yosuke formed another.  That left every team with at least one person that could heal in a pinch, and they had divided their healing items amongst each group was well.  Rise was keeping all the teams in communication with each other so they would ensure that if one group did experience trouble, the others would be able to come to the rescue.

It should have been a flawless plan.  Yu and Yosuke had already easily explored their part of the first two levels and had just reached the third ahead of the other teams when everything began to unravel.  “Rise, we just reached level three,” Yu called, frowning when he didn’t hear back from the cheerful navigator.  She had been pouting a bit at not getting to travel with her beloved sempai, but Yu knew that she was much too serious about her role to childishly ignore him.  “Rise?” he repeated, so focused on trying to get into communication with her that he didn’t immediately pick up on two concerning things.

One, it was deathly quiet on this floor.  Two, the portal door that led back upstairs to level two had slid closed behind them with a quiet hiss of machinery, effectively trapping them until they found the fourth level entrance since they didn’t have any items or Personas with a spell to escape.  Fortunately for Yu, Yosuke was paying much better attention and had noticed both issues right away.  “Uh, partner,” he said, his high pitched tone that only came out when he was starting to panic immediately drawing Yu out of his thoughts.

“What is it, Yosuke?” Yu asked in concern.  To most people his expression appeared impassive, but Yosuke knew he had his best friend’s full attention and patient, unwavering support.

“I think we’re in serious trouble,” Yosuke explained, his voice cracking slightly as he stared out into the fog.  Yu raised an eyebrow, also staring out at the empty, cold, metallic hallways and starting to pickup on issue one.  Normally they would hear the distant growling or movement of shadows, but instead they were faced with a stillness that was uncanny.

Yu found himself naturally pulling closer to Yosuke as his eyes scanned the fog and along the dark corridors ahead, knowing that anytime there was a lack of shadows on a level it usually wasn’t good.  “It is pretty quiet,” Yu acknowledged, keeping his voice steady for Yosuke’s sake even as he internally felt anxious.  They didn’t have any of their other friends for support and still couldn’t reach Rise which meant he wouldn’t be able to call for backup either. 

He had just been about to turn for the door when Yosuke added, voice bitter, “Oh, and the door closed behind us, by the way.”  Yosuke tended to rely on his sarcasm when he got nervous, so Yu didn’t pay it any mind.  The fact the door was in fact securely closed was pretty troubling, however.  He turned to look at it, a frown alighting his features as he reached forward and pressed his hang along it, as if hoping it would somehow open the door.

“You really can’t get Rise?” Yosuke asked, and Yu shook his head.

“I don’t get anything from Himiko at all,” he replied.  “I’m sure by now they have noticed and are looking for us as we speak.”

Yosuke’s headphones were down and around his neck, which Yu figured must be how he was able to discern the silence so quickly.  He wondered if Yosuke had taken them off earlier – sometimes he’d forget to charge his mp3 player, or he’d be on his guard and not want to be distracted by the music – but before he could ask his friend which one it was he was cut-off as Yosuke suddenly hushed him.

‘Did he read my mind?’ Yu thought distractedly, until Yosuke turned to look at him, face pale and eyes unnaturally wide.

“Did you hear that?” he asked.

“Hear wha…?” Yu started to respond, but paused when he suddenly heard it too.  He tensed, for they had heard it once before in Rise’s dungeon.  The telltale sound of chains rattling.  He immediately drew his sword and noticed that Yosuke already was tightly gripping his kunai.  Yu had a grim set to his mouth as he listened carefully, trying to get a sense for where the sound was coming from.  Unfortunately, there was only one way to go, and they would have to head down that silent hallway in order to get to the next level down; they both knew it was the only way to escape the Reaper.

Yu reached back with his free hand and firmly grasped Yosuke’s wrist, allowing him to continue to grip his kunai in case they needed to leap into action while ensuring that they stuck close together.  Then he began to as silently as possible creep up the hallway with Yosuke pressing close behind him.  Yu finally spotted an area up ahead where the pathway split, one area a branched off hallway while another was one of the mechanical doors.  Yu felt nervous about that, since the doors always made a mechanized sound when they opened.  Neither had heard the rattling for a few minutes though, and Yu knew he had to take a chance and carefully stepped forward.  Right as the door opened to his left, he heard a gun fire in front of him and to the right where the hallway was, and Yosuke tugged back with his wrist to pull Yu to him, causing the bullet to whiz past his head instead of hitting him as intended.  The rattling sound of chains intensified as the Reaper suddenly whipped around the corner, and Yu immediately took off through the door, mentally thanking Yosuke for saving him back there.  As they dashed down the new hallway, both teens heard the sound of more gunfire as the Reaper shot behind their backs, bullets whizzing past them as they ran. 

This prompted Yosuke to pick up speed, whipping his way around Yu and twisting his body in what looked like a bizarre dance move so he could dash ahead of him with Yu still able to hold onto his wrist.  With Yosuke in the lead they picked up speed, the brunet pushing Yu past his normal pace, both his lungs and legs burning with the strain of keeping up with his best friend.  Fear was a great motivator, however, and he somehow managed to keep up as they ran past more doors, causing them to fly open and hopefully provide a distraction to the terrifying being now that they had a bit of distance between them.  Unfortunately, soon afterward Yosuke took an unlucky turn, leading them down one of the dead end hallways, the sound of their blood rushing in their ears and the distant rattling of the Reaper thundering in their ears.  Yosuke cursed under his breath while Yu looked around, spotting a narrow crevice in the wall and making a quick decision.  This would either save them or mean their end.

He tugged Yosuke forward, shoving him into the narrow crevice while the brunet whispered a hurried protest, before slipping in behind him and pressing Yosuke against the inner wall so he wouldn’t be sticking out from the narrow opening.  He had one hand bracing himself on the wall near Yosuke’s head as he half titled his body so he could peer out the opening for the cloaked menace, sweat slicked fingers tightly gripping his sword.  He could feel Yosuke’s rapid heartbeats against his chest, and the brunet’s panting breath ghosted along his collar bone as Yosuke also peered over his shoulder, hands more loosely gripping his kunai in case he needed to throw one while mentally preparing himself to call forth Jiraiya if needed.  When the rattling sound of chains grew terrifyingly close, both teens held their breath, watching as the Reaper floated its way past their hiding spot, turning its head as it obviously looked for them before turning around and moving away.  They didn’t risk more than a short, quiet breath until the sound of the chains grew faint and finally faded away.

Yosuke immediately took a deep breath, squirming nervously, causing an odd warmth in the pit of Yu’s stomach when he brushed against him in the process.  Yosuke looked like his legs were about to buckle from his nerves being so wound up, and he leaned heavily against the wall before looking up at Yu.  Yu stared back at him, also feeling the immediate tension drain out of his body, although he was still on high alert.  Something, though, about the way Yosuke was staring at him was distracting, and he found himself unable to focus on the danger they were in, so caught up was he in how dark Yosuke’s eyes looked in this confined space.  In fact, he barely registered the fact that out in the hall, they began to hear the familiar growl of a shadow roaming, or the desperate call of Rise as she reached out to them through her Persona.  “Sempai, are you both ok?” her voice cackled as Himiko finally began to reach them.

It was Yosuke’s quiet, “Are you going to reply?” that finally broke Yu of the spell.

“Ah, yeah, we’re fine,” he said, voice a lower timbre than usual.  He saw Yosuke’s mouth tilt open slightly at the sound, those usually warm, flashing eyes instead looking almost dazed as he stared back at him.  Yu didn’t know if it was due to the adrenaline still coursing through their bodies or what, but it seemed like the tension had only intensified since the Reaper left.

“I think I picked up on signs of the Reaper, but it appears to be gone now,” Rise replied.  She sounded a little staticky, and Yu figured maybe the door being closed was causing interference.  “Don’t worry though, sempai, we’re going to be on our way to you soon!”

“Take your time,” Yu replied almost thoughtlessly, feeling relieved when the connection cut off again as the others were probably preparing to make their way to them.  He suddenly wanted to take advantage of this moment he had alone with Yosuke, especially when the brunet’s eyes kept glancing at his mouth before quickly darting away as an almost guilty expression crossed Yosuke’s face.

“Maybe we should move,” Yosuke started to say, but Yu shook his head. 

“We’re safer here until the others arrive,” he said, suddenly aware of the fact he had pressed his leg between Yosuke’s thighs and was definitely crowding him against the wall.  Now it was his turn to look guilty as he tried to step back to put some space between them, only stopping when Yosuke tucked his kunai away and reached out to grab his arm to stop him.

“You’re really close to the opening and I’m pretty sure there’s a shadow out there,” Yosuke said, and Yu unconsciously caught his breath because Yosuke’s hand suddenly felt like fire to his skin.  Yu at the very least shifted so he wasn’t pressed so close to Yosuke, moving his leg in the process and brushing along his Yosuke’s thigh, causing him to gasp in surprise.

Yu flushed, feeling embarrassed, but before he could apologize, Yosuke’s searing hands were suddenly tugging him forward, and the last thing Yu saw before all of his senses were overloaded was the intently needy gaze of his partner as he suddenly closed the gap between their lips.  The moment Yosuke kissed him, Yu felt all of his walls he had been carefully building up this semester come crashing down.  He had been forming a steady crush on his friend for months, but had been pretty convinced the brunet would never feel the same after Kanji’s dungeon.  He felt elation mixed with confusion over Yosuke’s reaction, and wondered if maybe it was just the adrenaline or the fact they had managed to avoid an encounter with the Reaper driving things forward.  The thought was enough to sober him just for a moment, and he hesitated and was about to pull away until Yosuke demanded, “Don’t you dare,” while staring back at him with a frown on his face.

Yu rose an eyebrow, and Yosuke scoffed.  “I know what you’re thinking partner.  Just…let go for a change.”  Yu stared back at him, eyebrows forming a neutral line, and Yosuke sighed, using the moment to catch his breath after their momentary frenzy.  “Yu,” he said, the use of his name catching the silver haired teen’s attention.  “What do you want?” he asked.  Yosuke’s voice was steady, which surprised him, and Yu began to realize that maybe Yosuke’s actions had been his own decision after all.

“You,” Yu replied simply, causing Yosuke to cough in surprise before a pleased grin graced his face.

“Seriously dude?” he asked, and Yu nodded in reply. 

“I want you,” he repeated, and Yosuke looked both flattered and embarrassed.

“Well, I want you too,” he said, tugging Yu closer to him.  Things were hot in their cramped hiding spot, but neither boy seemed to notice.  They were too engrossed in the sound of the other’s panting breaths and how attractive the other looked with flushed cheeks.

“Are you sure?” Yu asked, already leaning in for another kiss, and Yosuke replied by firmly pressing their lips together.

“What do you think?” he quipped against his lips before diving in again.  This time things were messy and at first uncoordinated since neither guy had much experience under their belts, but they both gave it a valiant effort nonetheless.  Even if sometimes their teeth clinked together or they had to adjust their awkward position, just the fact that they were clinging together and taking in each other’s scent and taste was mind blowing to both of them.  They were so caught up in each other that they completely forgot where they were, and it wasn’t until they heard the sound of their friends fighting the shadow nearby that they finally had enough sense to pull apart.

They both struggled to straighten their clothes, Yosuke tugging down on his shirt that had started to ride up while Yu adjusted his buttons.  They both still looked flushed, so they tried their best to cool down for a moment, knowing it was going to seem odd that they didn’t come out to help the others fight the shadows.  Once it grew quiet, and they heard the first years call of, “Sempai!” while Chie grumbled something about how they were both idiots, Yu finally thought they were safe enough and popped his head out, smoothly stepping out like it wasn’t strange he had been hiding in a crevice with his partner.  Yosuke popped out a moment later, almost stumbling as he squeezed out of the opening in the wall.

“Sempai!” Rise squealed, as Teddie shouted, “Sensei!” and they both made a beeline for Yu who suddenly had both the former idol and the bear nearly tackle him to the ground.  He was fortunately used to it and managed to stand his ground as they clung to him.

“I was so worried about you.  How did you both manage to get away from the Reaper?” Rise asked.

Yosuke suddenly felt a tinge of jealously shoot up his spine at the way they both clung to the other teen, but calmed himself down by reminding himself Yu had never shown interest in anyone else on the team – for reasons he now understood – and that he had been the one Yu had just been making out with moments earlier.  “I think it’s a bit obvious, Rise-chan,” Yosuke commented, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the crack in the wall.

The others all stared at it before turning to look at the two of them.  Yukiko was trying to hide a smirk behind her fan, while Chie and Kanji both looked bewildered.  “How long were you both in there?” Chie asked incredulously, before walking over to stick her head in.  “It’s rather cramped.”

“We had no other choice,” Yu shrugged, and trying to ignore Naoto’s calculating gaze as she appraised both of them.  He suddenly realized his hair was probably a mess and felt himself uncharacteristically blush.  Yosuke, meanwhile, was now the one being attacked by Teddie, who had actually tackled him in a hug while bemoaning the fact Yosuke and sensei could have died alone with the Reaper.  Not even Teddie really knew what that entity was and said all the Shadows always avoided it when it showed up.

“I guess,” Chie said, not sounding completely convinced but also not interested enough to instigate anymore.

“Well, I’m sure we’re all glad Yu-kun and Yosuke-kun both came out alright,” Yukiko said, still hiding her face behind her fan as she tried not to giggle.  Now it was Yosuke’s turn for his face to turn red as he noticed, and he quickly pulled on his headphones and turned on his music to escape. 

‘I guess that answers my question from earlier,’ Yu thought to himself, although he couldn’t help but shoot Yosuke an adoring look in the process.  Now realization appeared to be dawning on Kanji, but before he could say anything Naoto placed her hand on his arm and gently shook her head.  Yu cleared his throat before saying, “I believe that’s enough training for today, team.”  The others all seemed to agree and Teddie used Traesto to return them to the entrance.  As the team prepared to head back to the real world, Yu and Yosuke found themselves lingering near each other, both with so many things to say but unable to in front of their friends.  Instead, Yosuke settled for bumping his shoulder against Yu’s and shooting him a shy smile, one which Yu gladly returned.  They’d definitely have time later to discuss what happened back in that dungeon…hopefully with some more practice thrown in as well.


	17. Would you mind if I kissed you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Livefree sent me an ask on Tumblr "Would you mind if I kissed you?" I decided to make this a sequel to another ask I wrote for her which you can see on Chapter 13 :)

Yosuke stepped into the warm izakaya and pulled down his hood on his jacket as his eyes swept the bar, searching for familiar silver hair.  ‘Must have beat him here,’ he mused as he walked over to his usual spot and sat down.  His partner had asked him to meet up here after work, and often seemed to beat him there so it was a bit of a surprise for Yosuke.  He drummed his fingers on the bar top as his eyes roamed the izakaya’s specials board, trying to see if they had anything new for them to try.  His thoughts were interrupted by the cool tone of his partner’s voice as he asked, “Is this seat taken?” before smoothly moving into his usual seat next to him.  Yosuke furrowed his brows before turning to face Yu.  Yosuke caught a mischievous gleam in the young man’s usually neutral expression and immediately threw his guard up; not many people were privy to the playful side of Narukami Yu, but Yosuke knew it quite well.

“Why would you ask me if your usual seat was taken?” he asked.  “And what took you so long?  You’re normally here before me.”

Yu tilted his head and shot Yosuke a puzzled look.  “You must be a psychic if you predicted us meeting like this,” he mused.  “I believe your accurate prediction should be cause for a celebration!  Let me buy you a drink, handsome stranger.”  Yu shot him a dazzling grin, and Yosuke felt a sudden case of déjà vu. 

“Partner,” he groaned, and Yu put a hand to his mouth; Yosuke figured it was both to look surprised and to mask the grin he was trying to contain. 

“I can’t believe we’re moving onto pet names when we’ve only just met,” Yu replied, and Yosuke shook his head.  He had a feeling if he said Yu’s name next the silver haired man would make some comment about his second accurate prediction for the night.  Instead, he decided to play along.

“I guess you can buy me a drink,” he said, and Yu immediately sat up straighter.

“Excellent,” he said.  “How about I try my hand at being a psychic and try to predict what you like?”  Yosuke snorted as Yu ordered his usual Asahi Super Dry and noted the bartender give them both an amused glance as he set the drink in front of him.  He was the one that usually served them and was obviously listening in on Yu’s strange game he was playing.  Yu then ordered his beer, the Sapporo black label, before taking a sip and leaning his head on his hand as he casually looked at Yosuke.  Even though he was acting odd, Yosuke couldn’t help but feel himself relax in his partner’s presence, and he felt the tension from work begin to sooth away from his calm presence.  Yu always claimed Yosuke somehow did the same, calling him warm like the sun, but Yosuke couldn’t imagine anyone being more soothing than his partner was.

“How about I try my hand at making another prediction,” Yosuke said with a grin, mimicking Yu which caught his attention.  He looked pleased that Yosuke was playing along.  “I predict that you would love their takowasabi here – how about I order us a dish to share?”

“Sounds like we’ll have to see how accurate your prediction is,” Yu replied, and Yosuke waved the bartender over.  After making his order, he amusedly played along as Yu played the part of a bar flirt trying to pick him up.  He feigned amazement over Yosuke’s accurate choice in bar snacks as well, and Yosuke couldn’t help but roll his eyes at his best friend’s antics.

It wasn’t until Yu leaned forward and asked in a low murmur, “Would you mind if I kissed you?” that Yosuke decided to flip the switch. 

He leaned away, resting his head on his hand, and casually replied, “Sorry dude, but I’m already taken,” grinning as Yu’s expression fell.

“Whoever it is must be very lucky,” he said with a sigh, and Yosuke snorted.

“I’m not sure about lucky,” he replied, “but I do think my boyfriend deserves a kiss.  Now, if only he were here?”  Yosuke grinned at him as Yu let out a light sigh.  Normal people wouldn’t be able to tell, but Yosuke was able to see by the slight tug at Yu’s lips that he was pouting.  Before he could pout any longer, Yosuke leaned forward and surprised him with a kiss, sliding his arm around his shoulders and thoroughly erasing any evidence of his pout.  When he pulled away he grinned at Yu and said, “There you are.  You should have gotten here earlier – a strange man was flirting with me all night.”

Yu chuckled, before pressing his forehead against Yosuke’s.  “Is that so?” he asked.  “I can’t say I’m surprised though.”

Yosuke rolled his eyes.  “It’s not like you to be late for a date like this.  Should I be worried?”  He smiled up at Yu who shook his head before leaning in for another kiss.

“Never,” he murmured against Yosuke’s lips as the brunet eagerly reciprocated his advances.  After months of “jokingly” flirting with Yosuke, the brunet had finally figured out Yu was actually being serious before also realizing that there was a reason it had been making him flustered the whole time.  They had gotten together shortly afterward and had been dating since college.  Yosuke didn’t really know what had prompted Yu to revert back to his odd way of flirting, but he honestly didn’t mind.  He loved Yu, quirks and all, and had to admit the other man kept him on his toes.  When Yu pulled away from the kiss, he flashed Yosuke a soft smile before returning his attention back to the bartender, ordering them some yakitori for their next course. 

Yosuke reached over and offered his hand which Yu gladly accepted as they slipped into their more normal after work conversation, discussing how each other’s days went over their next round of beer.  Yosuke then went into detail about this mysterious stranger that disappeared right before Yu showed up, while Yu pretended to be jealous about someone stealing him away.  They spent a relaxing evening in their favorite spot unwinding with each other before heading home with the bartender complimenting Yu on “getting his man back.”  Yosuke had enough sense to look a little embarrassed while Yu seemed pretty please that he had also played along.


	18. Wait Don't Pull Away.  Not Yet.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lody on Tumblr sent me an ask "Wait don't pull away. Not yet." Hopefully you like what I came up with ^^

Yosuke paused in the middle of sweeping and leaned his head on top of the broom while he felt his weariness seep into his bones.  Today had been a hell of a day.  This whole week really.  Junes had a special going in order to move some inventory before they came out with new stock for the store which meant it had been busier than usual.  Which also meant having to constantly restock and recover shelves all day to ensure the store looked its best and had said inventory pulled from storage so they could continue to sell it until it was sold out.  Yosuke had been in charge of the restock and recovery process since his dad trusted his sharp eye and work ethic, and he found himself having to fill in for the slack of other employees as he noticed sections they were over not getting the proper attention each day.  It really was both frustrating and exhausting.

As he stood trying to catch a second wind so he could finish recovering this section of the store, he caught movement in the corner of his eye that caused his heart to skip a beat and his head to immediately swivel.  It had looked like gray hair and caused a wave of familiarity to wash over him, and he really wished he could feel more excited than he did currently.  When Yosuke turned his head, brown eyes met gray, and he realized that he was exactly right.  Yu’s eyes lit up the moment he spotted him, and Yosuke realized with a jolt that he probably came here looking for him.  ‘Why is he here?’ he wondered in surprise, because Yu hadn’t mentioned anything about coming to visit.  He noticed Yu’s expression change to a puzzled look and then to one of concern when Yosuke didn’t show his usual energy and enthusiasm upon seeing him.  Yosuke couldn’t help but feel guilty, realizing that he was probably ruining Yu’s perfectly planned surprise.

Yu walked up to him and tilted his head slightly, eyes sweeping across Yosuke’s frame and obviously picking up on some tells before saying, “It’s always good to see you Yosuke.”  He brought his eyes back up to look directly at Yosuke as he said it, and Yosuke felt a little bit of his exhaustion ebb away, although unfortunately he was too tired to return to his usual energetic self.

“It’s good to see you too partner,” Yosuke replied.  “I’m sorry you came at a bad day though.” 

“Seeing you is never a bad day,” Yu replied firmly.  “When do you get off?” he asked after a momentary pause.

“In about 20 minutes.  If I can get all of this cleaned up,” Yosuke said, waving his hand at the aisle.  It was pretty disheveled with items on the wrong part of the shelves and a few things scattered on the floor as well.  It honestly wouldn’t take too terribly long to organize again, but with Yosuke’s energy so low he was struggling.

Yu’s eyes swept the aisle and he asked, “Do you need help?” causing Yosuke to immediately shake his head.

“No, dude, you’re here visiting.  And I’ve asked you to help out here more than I can count.  Go get your shopping done or whatever that brought you here.”

“I came to see you,” Yu replied straightforwardly, and Yosuke let out a sigh. 

“Wait for me at the food court then.  I’ll come up after I clock out and get out of this apron,” he said firmly, and he noted the slight frown that tugged on Yu’s lips.  He wasn’t used to Yosuke pushing him away since the brunet usually enjoyed his distracting presence at work.  Yosuke felt his stomach twist but knew he had to stay firm if he hoped to get his work done tonight.  “Please, Yu,” he said more gently, and Yu nodded his head.

“I’ll be waiting,” he replied, expression soft as he took in Yosuke’s hunched stance.  He reluctantly turned around and walked away, and Yosuke braced himself as he went back to sweeping up a mess a child had left in the aisle.  He then switched to straightening, grimacing at his stiff limbs as he hobbled his way around the aisle, suddenly dreaming of a nice hot shower to ease his aching body.  He’d have to spend time with Yu first though, since he didn’t want to be more of a disappointment to his best friend.

Once Yosuke was done tidying up, he headed to the break room to clock out and hang up his apron.  He glanced at himself in the mirror hanging in his locker, and his face blanched out how awful he looked.  His hair was messier than usual, and he had bags under his eyes.  Yosuke made a face at himself before closing the door and trudging up to the food court to see Yu, sadly wishing that the visit didn’t take too long so he could rest and prepare for a proper visit when he wasn’t so worn out.  Fortunately, today was the last day of the sale, so he was sure his dad wouldn’t mind if he asked for a day off to see his partner.

When he arrived, he saw Yu sitting at their usual table, a pensive expression on his face as he was obviously mulling something over.  The moment he spotted Yosuke, however, his faced smoothed back over and he immediately stood up and walked over.  “Think you have enough energy for a walk?” he asked, and Yosuke lightly punched him on the arm.

“Of course I do,” he said, attempting to give Yu his usual carefree grin.  It came out pretty weak though, and he inwardly felt awful as he saw Yu’s eyebrows furrow underneath his bangs.  “Seriously, let’s go,” Yosuke said, walking ahead of him, albeit a bit stiffly due to how sore he was.  Yu quickly came to his side and slowed to match his pace, and they walked silently together through Junes before exiting the store.  Yosuke glanced at Yu, noting there was a slight tension between them due to the awkward atmosphere he had created due to his lack of enthusiasm about seeing Yu.  He felt terrible about it because honestly he was glad to see his best friend and missed him every day he wasn’t in Inaba.

Yosuke let out a small sigh, before looking around and realizing that somehow he and Yu had wound up at the Samegawa riverbank.  Yu was kneeling down to sit in the grass and looked up at him, biting his lip slightly which surprised Yosuke.  It wasn’t like Yu to show any signs of nervousness.  Yosuke stubbornly plopped down next to Yu, his body immediately welcoming the relief at not being on his feet anymore, and he absently wondered if he’d be able to get up again.  Yu turned to him and cautiously asked, “What happened at work today?”

“It’s more like what happened all week,” Yosuke chuckled bitterly, wishing he could somehow stop sounding like such a jerk.  Because he was tired his tone was coming out a bit sharp, and he hated that he was being this way with his friend who came such a long way to see him.  Honestly, Yu was probably tired too after traveling all day.  Yu nudged his arm though, and Yosuke slowly began to recount all of the things he had to deal with that week before the sale.  In his mind, all it sounded like was he was yet again complaining to Yu, and he couldn’t help but wonder why the guy was still friends with him after all this time.  Once he was finished talking, he looked down, and finally voiced what he had been thinking since spotting Yu.  “I’m sorry,” he said, and he felt Yu shift next to him.  Before he could ask, Yosuke continued, “For being such a shit friend, I mean.  You came all this way to see me – and really I’m grateful – but instead of just being happy to see you I’m…”

Before he could finish, he was surprised as he was overwhelmed by a sudden warmth and the subtle scent of his partner’s cologne.  Yosuke was brought back to the last time they had hugged each other and felt himself stiffen, even though internally his weariness was suddenly melting away by Yu’s gentle warmth.  His partner appeared to have misinterpreted it, however, and started to pull away until Yosuke clutched at the back of his shirt.  “Wait!” he said, and Yu hesitated.  “Don’t pull away.  Not yet.”  Yosuke clutched at Yu like he was a lifeline, burying his head in his shoulder as he allowed all of his negative emotions to drain out of him, leaving him feeling emotionally drained but also at peace.  The type of peace he only ever seemed to achieve around his best friend.  An ache occurred deep in his chest as all of the loneliness and emptiness he had been feeling since Yu left suddenly swept over him, although that slowly eased away as well in his steady embrace.

Yu brought one hand up to clutch at his shoulder, while another one hesitantly made his way to his hair, carefully stroking it once he realized Yosuke wasn’t pulling away.  To Yosuke’s surprise, Yu slowly began lowering them to the ground, until he was lying on his back with Yosuke sprawled across his chest, hanging on like his life depended on it.  Yosuke closed his eyes, basking in Yu’s very presence that always proved to calm him down, wondering if Yu was beginning to piece together the change of heart he had slowly been coming around to ever since he had left.  After a few moments, Yu softly asked in his ear, “Is everything alright?”  Yosuke figured he was probably thinking about the other times they had hugged in the past and how emotionally charged they had been.

“Yeah.  Right now at least,” Yosuke admitted, and Yu tightened his grip slightly, causing Yosuke to suddenly feel protected as if right here with this other person nothing in the world could go wrong.  Finally, after what felt like forever, Yosuke pulled away and rolled off of Yu, grimacing at how stiff he felt and immediately missing the other young man’s warmth.  He almost regretted it, but knew if he stayed much longer he probably would have trouble getting home and really needed that hot shower to help soothe his muscles.  He turned his head, catching Yu’s gaze and noting how the other teen was watching him carefully, obviously trying to process what had just happened.  Yosuke was finally able to flash him his real smile, the genuine one that expressed how happy he was to see Yu.  “Thanks,” he said, reaching over and squeezing his hand and watching the slight blush spread across the normally stoic guy’s face.  ‘Cute,’ he couldn’t help but think to himself, before he let go and forced himself to stiffly sit up.

“Do you need me to give you a lift home?” Yu asked, amusement underlying his tone as he attempted to give Yosuke an innocent look.  Yosuke’s face darkened as he looked back at him.

“No thanks, dude,” he grumbled, and Yu chuckled.

“You sure?  It can be like old times,” he said, referring to the time Yu had given him a piggyback during the king’s game at the club Rise had taken them to the year before.  Yosuke grimaced at the memory and vehemently shook his head.

“Seriously.  No.”  Yu gracefully stood up next to him, and Yosuke couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous at how easily he was able to move about.  That is until Yu offered his hand and gave him a small smile, causing Yosuke’s heart to skip a beat.  He grasped it firmly, allowing Yu to pull him up and not minding at all when he stumbled against him, leaning into that warmth again for one brief moment before pulling away. 

“How long are you going to be in town?  Because I promise when we hang out again it’ll be much better,” Yosuke said.

“I dunno.  I quite liked this,” Yu mused, and it was Yosuke’s turned to blush.  He looked away, awkwardly scratching the back of his head, and trying to ignore the look that Yu shot him.

“I did too,” Yosuke said softly, and Yu’s expression softened.

“Maybe, when we hang out tomorrow, we can talk about that?” Yu asked hopefully, and Yosuke gave a short nod of his head, trying to ignore the nervous fluttering in his chest.

“Yeah, sounds perfect,” he agreed, and he didn’t even protest when Yu offered to walk him home.  Somehow the need to spend just a little more time with him overrode his usual fear of appearing too needy.  And he realized that maybe Yu wanted to spend more time with him too.


	19. I saw this and thought of you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angevon on Tumblr sent me an ask "I saw this and thought of you." Hope you enjoy it!

Yosuke was making his way through the shopping district after hanging out with Kanji after class.  It was so strange seeing the huge change in Kanji and how serious he was about his goals, and if Yosuke was being honest with himself, it made him feel a little anxious about his own lack of motivation.  Sure, he was studying harder with the vague goal of meeting his partner in Tokyo for college…but if he was honest with himself, he didn’t really have a set plan for what he would study or what he even wanted to do.  Seeing Yu was really his true motivation, and it was starting to make him feel a little nervous for his future.  Yosuke let out a sigh and kicked the toe of his shoe against the street as he mulled over his dilemma.  He was just resolving to worry about it later (of course), when his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone calling for him.

“Hey! You!  The Junes boy!” someone nearby was shouting, and Yosuke immediately flinched.  He tried his best to brace himself, for while he hadn’t been experiencing as much hate since the fog had lifted from the town, he still heard the occasionally muttering behind his back.  Yosuke looked around until he spotted a middle aged man standing next to one of the shuttered stores on the street.  He recognized it as the old hobby shop that had shut down not long after Junes had opened in town.  Yosuke felt that old tendril of guilt creep up his spine as he walked over, trying his best not to appear as nervous as he felt.

“Hey…I mean, hello,” he said, bowing slightly.  He was trying his best to be polite.  “What can I do for you?”

The former shop owner appeared to have caught onto Yosuke’s nervousness and was also able to intuit why, because he quickly reassured him with a smile.  “I just wanted to ask about your friend – that gray haired, quiet kid?  How’s he been doing?”

Yosuke couldn’t help but feel relief and amusement over encountering yet again another person in town whose life his partner had managed to touch.  It seemed at some point he had interacted with everyone, leaving a positive, lasting influence on them that sometimes, like now, Yosuke managed to somehow benefit from.  He let out a small chuckle before saying, “He’s doing great!  He’s one of the top in class at his school in Tokyo and seems to be as busy as ever.”  Yosuke was a bit bummed about that since it cut into their texting time, but he was genuinely happy Yu seemed to be doing well.  Even if it did occasionally remind himself about his own shortcomings.  He was working to overcome that by taking cram school classes on the weekend in Okina and being more serious about studying this year.

“I’m glad.  He was a good kid.  Hey, do you know if he’s still been building models?” he asked hopefully, and Yosuke suddenly realized where Yu’s odd hobby came from.  ‘Of course,’ he thought before pulling out his phone and scrolling through their text conversation.  He found the picture he was looking for and handed his phone to the hobbyist. 

“He sent that to me a few weeks ago.  He had been working on it for a month when he found time,” Yosuke said.  He watched the older man’s face light up at the picture, and couldn’t help but feel good himself at helping make the man’s day, even if it was indirectly. 

“That’s a difficult one,” the man mused to himself.  “He’s really got skill.  Nice to see a young man with so much patience and attention to detail.”  The man handed Yosuke back his phone with a ‘thank you’ and Yosuke pocketed it before smiling back.

“No pr…I mean you’re welcome,” he said.  “Partner certainly does have loads of patience.  I mean, he deals with me,” Yosuke chuckled, and the man looked at him thoughtfully.

“How would you feel about giving it a try?” he asked, and Yosuke stared at him in surprise.  This man, whose business probably shut down because of Junes, wanted to give him something?  Before he could say anything, the man disappeared into his old business, before reappearing moments later with a small model kit in his hand.

“This one is pretty easy and would be a good place to start,” he said, handing it to Yosuke.  “What do you say?”

He looked pretty excited and hopeful about it, so Yosuke didn’t have it in his heart to say no.  “Heck yeah!” he said, taking it from the hobbyist and glancing at it.  It looked like it was probably from one of the Gundam series, but he hadn’t watched any since he was a boy and couldn’t identify it.  ‘Maybe Yu would want it,’ he thought to himself before waving at the older man and heading home.  Once he got home, he took a picture of it with his phone and sent it to Yu with a message, “I saw this and thought of you.”

Yu immediately replied asking, “Are you getting into modeling too?” and Yosuke snorted.

He then messaged back, “Yeah right,” before starting a barrage of text messages back and forth with his partner.  He didn’t realize the wide grin that had spread across his face until Yu messaged that he had to get to studying, causing Yosuke to set down his phone.  He put his hands on his cheeks, suddenly feeling foolish at how just texting his partner could make him so happy, before he glanced again at the model kit.  Honestly, he should also get to studying himself, but…  All that talk with Yu about building models had gotten him curious.

Yosuke carefully cut the shrink wrap from around the box before lifting the lid and looking inside.  There was an instruction sheet along with a few different colored pieces of plastic that had the model pieces already cut into it along with a few stickers for decoration.  Yosuke pulled out the instruction sheet and looked over it before glancing back at the sheets.  It looked like each sheet had a letter and each piece was numbered, which made it very easy to follow, especially since the instructions also contained pictures for each step.  ‘I think I can actually do this,’ he realized, while also thinking about how surprised Yu would be in a few weeks if he brought the completed model with him during his visit.  He was going to check out college campuses in the area…although honestly it was mainly an excuse to see his best friend. 

Yosuke bit his lip and checked his clock, making a mental note of when he would need to stop in order to get a decent amount of studying done.  He then went to work, finding the first two pieces and carefully twisting them off the plastic before snapping them together.  He frowned upon realizing that just snapping off the plastic piece left a little plastic hanging off, and he headed downstairs to see if his mom had a sharp knife or an x-acto knife for him to use.  When she asked what for, he lied and said it was for a school project before triumphantly heading back upstairs with the x-acto knife in hand and his mom shouting after him to be careful with it.

When Yosuke returned to his room, he sat back down at his desk before carefully using the x-acto knife to scrape away at the bit of plastic sticking out until it was smoothed down.  He grinned, giddy at the fact his idea worked, before moving onto the next piece.  After about 10 minutes, however, Yosuke lost his enthusiasm and set down the x-acto knife, suddenly wondering, ‘How does partner do this?’ and leaning back in his chair.  His hand felt a little cramped, and he felt himself fidgeting from sitting still that long.  He looked at the few pieces he had assembled already before packing everything into the box and sliding it into his drawer, afraid that if he left it out Teddie would get into it on one of his visits.  He travelled back and forth from the Shadow World and knew that the Hanamura household was always open to him whenever he felt like being in the human world for awhile.

Yosuke then pulled out his books, surprised that somehow the thought of studying appealed to him _more_ than finding an excuse to procrastinate.  His enthusiasm for his bright idea began to wane and he suddenly wondered if he really would finish this project by his visit to Tokyo.  Yosuke shook his head and pulled out his mechanical pencil before glancing at his math book and jotting down a few equations to practice.  He ended up not touching the model kit for another day since he had work after school, so it was two days later that he tentatively pulled it out again and winced at what little progress he had made.

Yosuke decided to give it another go, however, and he soon had himself set up after checking the time to see how long he had to work on it.  Afterward he got to work, gamely forging ahead and doing his best to focus and brush past his wandering attention.  He played music this time, finding having something to listen to actually gave him more focus, not unlike his experience in the Shadow World.  After about a half hour of making pretty decent progress, he suddenly hit a snag as a piece he was trying to cut out from the plastic broke off in his hand.  Yosuke froze, staring at the broken piece in horror before glancing down at the instruction sheet, panicking as he tried to figure out if this was repairable.  Not only was he mentally letting Yu down (even though the gray haired teen knew nothing about his surprise), he was also letting the hobbyist down, and Yosuke couldn’t help but internally berate himself at screwing up yet again.  He set down the pieces carefully and pulled his headphones down to his neck as he tried to think.  The piece wasn’t a hinge, so while it would be noticeable and wouldn’t be pretty, using a little glue probably wouldn’t hurt it.  It certainly couldn’t be worse than it was right now.

Yosuke got up and wandered downstairs, heading to the drawer where his parents stored miscellaneous items and felt relieved when he found a small bottle of super glue.  He headed back upstairs and sat back down, trying his best to steady his shaky hands as he carefully dabbed a tiny bit of super glue onto the plastic.  He slid both pieces together and held it firmly for several moments, feeling relief when it held and didn’t fall apart again.  He realized that it was actually more difficult to tell than he had thought that the piece had snapped off, and once he firmly clicked that part into place on the leg he realized he didn’t screw up as badly as he thought.  He was still emotionally drained after that ordeal and decided to yet again put the kit away for another day.

Yosuke continued to slowly chip away at the project, finding that while it wasn’t particularly exciting or even that enjoyable to him, he was finding it easier to get absorbed in than it had been originally.  More importantly, he felt like he was starting to understand some things about his partner and his weird hobbies.  While Yosuke liked more instantaneous forms for gratification, he could see how Yu could get satisfaction out of completing a project that took more time to do.  In fact, while he didn’t exactly enjoy the process of building the model, he was looking forward to it being done and could appreciate the amount of effort it was taking him to complete it. 

He had also learned to slow down and take his time so he didn’t accidentally snap another piece and so the stickers were aligned properly when he put them on.  He had perused a few forums for model building tips as well and had a few more tools at his disposal such as a q-tip and small pliers to aid in the process.  There was a lot that went into building these models, Yosuke was learning, and people often painted or in other ways enhanced them after they were built.  He knew he definitely didn’t have the skills for that, but suddenly wondered if Yu with his attention to detail had ever done that.  He’d have to take a closer look at his models when he went to visit.

Fortunately, Yosuke ended up finishing the model with a day to spare before his trip.  He couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment at actually doing it, and while he didn’t really have a desire to take on such a project again, he was still proud of himself and couldn’t wait to give the model to Yu.  He knew his partner would be impressed and also touched Yosuke would take the time to do something like that for him.  The thought had Yosuke in a pretty good mood, although he had to admit a lot of that was also simply the fact he’d be seeing his best friend the next day.  He had difficulty sleeping the night before due to being so excited, and he ended up getting up early the next morning and arriving far too early to wait for the train to the city.  He had the model carefully packed away in its box in his bag, and he was trying to decide if he wanted to show Yu the model himself or wait for him to open it up and see the completed model inside. 

He fidgeted even worse than usual during the trip and kept getting up and walking around, glad that at least the train this far out was still pretty empty so he didn’t get too many odd stares.  Ironically, once they got close to Tokyo, he was glued to his seat, his eyes straining out the window in anticipation for that first glimpse of his best friend.  The moment the train pulled toward the platform for his stop, he saw him, and he couldn’t help but grin and begin waving wildly.  Yu also spotted him right away and waved back, before stepping toward the door Yosuke would be exiting from in order to wait for him.  The moment they were in front of each other, they high fived in greeting before Yosuke surprised both of them by suddenly pulling Yu into a hug.  Yu warmly returned the embrace, however, and when Yosuke pulled away while flushed in embarrassment, he didn’t say anything.

“Are you ready for me to invade your place?” Yosuke asked, waggling his eyebrows as Yu carefully took his bag.  Yosuke frowned slightly, looking worriedly where he knew the box for the kit was tucked away, but did his best to soothe his anxiety.  He knew Yu was trying to be helpful and honestly was far less clumsy than he was.

Yu pretended to contemplate his question for a moment while counting off on his fingers.  “I have dinner simmering on the stove, your futon already set out, your favorite snacks and games set out for the evening.  Am I missing anything?”

Yosuke’s eyes widened in surprise.  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were pretty excited about me visiting,” he commented with a slight chuckle, and Yu looked away.

“I believe you know the answer to that,” he replied softly, and Yosuke felt something tighten in his chest at his words.  He shook his head before clapping his hand on Yu’s shoulder.

“You can’t be as excited as I am,” he said, his eyes twinkling.  “Coming to see the colleges is honestly an excuse.”

Yu shook his head while giving Yosuke an exasperated smile.  “Being happy to be back in the city isn’t the same thing,” he teased, and Yosuke blinked in surprise.

‘I’m not excited about being in Tokyo,” he replied.  “I’m excited to see you.”  To his surprise, Yu appeared to take a misstep after that, and Yosuke had to quickly move to catch him before he stumbled over.  He felt his heart racing, both over Yu almost falling and possibly getting hurt, and with the realization it could have damaged his gift as well.  “You ok?” he asked, and Yu quickly nodded his head.

“Yes,” he replied.  “I must not have noticed where I was going.”  Yosuke glanced down, noting that he didn’t see anything that looked like something Yu could have tripped on but shrugged his shoulders.  It wasn’t his place to question it.  The rest of the walk to Yu’s apartment went by smoothly, and soon they headed inside.  Yu’s parents had left the apartment to him for the night, deciding to take a date night out in order to give him some privacy with his friend, so it was just the two of them.  As Yu went to go check on their stew for dinner, Yosuke went into his room to set his bag down and pull out the kit, glancing inside to ensure the model was still in good condition. 

He also took a moment to peruse the ones Yu had on his shelf, noting that the one Yu had finished recently did appear to have some details painted on as well.  Now that Yosuke knew first hand how much work went into building the models, he couldn’t help but feel amazed at Yu’s skill, and he suddenly felt nervous about giving him his model after seeing how much better Yu’s looked.  But.  Yosuke stood a little straighter.  He had a plan and he wasn’t chickening out now.

Yosuke wandered into the kitchen where Yu was wrapping up on their dinner, stirring the stew he had simmering all day while two bowls of steaming hot rice were already set out for them.  He turned his head and raised his eyebrow when he saw what Yosuke was holding, and he dished out the stew while asking, “Did you bring that for me?”

“Yeah,” Yosuke said, bringing it over to the kitchen table where Yu already had drinks set out for them; Yosuke noted that his was his favorite soda while Yu had tea.  Yu set down their food before reaching over to pick up the box, noting that it had already been opened before lifting up the lid.  He then stared in surprise for several moments.

“Did…you assemble this?” he asked, gingerly picking it up and peering at it closely. 

Yosuke jiggled his leg and nodded until he realized Yu wasn’t looking at him to see it and cleared his throat.  “Uh, yeah, I did.”

“This looks really good,” Yu grinned at him before setting it down.  To Yosuke’s amazement it actually stood on its own and didn’t immediately fall apart.  It did look pretty cool standing there with a buster sword in one hand and a shield in the other.

“I have to admit, I have a newfound appreciation for what you do,” Yosuke said, a fond tone creeping into his voice as he spoke.  “This one took forever and the hobby shop guy said it was supposed to be an easy one.”

Yu chuckled.  “My first one was quite difficult for me as well,” he admitted.

Yosuke shook his head.  “No, you don’t understand.  You’re good at this and obviously enjoy it since you kept it up.  I don’t think I can do it again myself.  But,” he trailed off for a moment.  “I’m glad I did.  And got to experience a little bit what it must be like for you.”  Yu was watching him carefully as he spoke, and he looked pleased at his words, although it was only barely noticeable in the way the corner of his eyes crinkled slightly and the a small tug on the corner of his lips.

“Is that so?” he mused.  “Well, I’m glad to see you tried my hobby at least once.  I really appreciate it.”  He moved to put the model back in the box, and Yosuke shook his head.

“It’s yours.  I made it for you,” he said.  “You’ll get more use out of it than I will.  Also, I kind of read up a bit on modeling to get some tips as I put it together, and I have to say I’m really impressed by that one you finished a few weeks ago.  I can really see the detail you put into it.  Must have taken you a lot of time.”

“Yeah, it did,” Yu nodded.

Before he could say anything else, Yosuke spoke for him.  “But that sense of accomplishment can’t be beat, huh partner?” he asked, and Yu looked a bit surprised.  His eyes widened slightly, and his eyes caught Yosuke’s for a moment as he studied him.

“You hit the nail on the head Yosuke,” Yu replied honestly, and they both turned to focusing on their meal as they continued their discussion.  Yosuke couldn’t help but feel a little bit of pride over the fact Yu would keep his model and display it with his much better ones, and he was happy that his plan worked out as he hoped it would.  Yu also appeared to be in a really good mood, and Yosuke hoped at least some of that was because of him.  He thought back to all of the things he had learned about Yu over the days he worked on the model kit, and he couldn’t help but steal a glance at him.  Maybe, once they were roommates, Yosuke would try his hand at another model kit.  That is if he and his partner built one together.  Yosuke grinned to himself at the idea, and he decided he’d go talk to the hobbyist to see what would be a good one to try next while letting him know how well the first project went.  He was sure Yu would also like the idea, and Yosuke was looking forward to surprising him with it.


	20. You've got a fever. Of course I'm not going anywhere.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tomorrow-is-forever-all-ours on Tumblr sent me an ask with the line "You've got a fever. Of course I'm not going anywhere." I've written Yosuke taking care of Yu already in the past, and although I find that more interesting I decided to switch it up and wrote Yu taking care of Yosuke this time :)

This trip, which was supposed to be the sequel to the best day of his life, was instead an utter disaster.  It had started off well enough.  On their wedding night they had spent a lovely time cuddling in the luxury hotel room Rise had gifted them with, too tired to do anything more strenuous after their long day.  They had woken up, nice and well rested, before heading out on the flight Yu’s parents had booked them for their wedding gift – a trip to Hawaii.  Yosuke had been looking forward to it _almost_ as much as the wedding since it would be his first time traveling outside of Japan.  It was also his first time on a plane, and although he was a little nervous especially with it being a 7 hour flight, he didn’t let it deter his eagerness. 

Really, Yosuke should have been paying attention to the signs early on in the flight.  Instead, he had been too busy staring outside the window as they flew into the sky, gazing out in amazement as they floated above the vast sea of clouds, feeling awe that something so large could feel as if it was weightless as it appeared to drift above the Earth.  He knew they were actually flying at an incredibly fast speed, but it was hard to tell with the clouds drifting all around them.  He was so enthralled by the sight, that he totally didn’t pick up on the fact that several other people on the flight were sniffling, sneezing, and coughing.  Not that there was much he could do about it 35,000 feet in the air.  By the time they were about to land, however, Yosuke was beginning to pay better attention as his head began to feel foggy, and he started to get a scratch in his throat.  “When we get to the hotel room, I’ll probably need to drink some water,” he commented, not mentioning his other symptoms to his partner.  Yosuke was too wrapped up in thinking about all the activities they had planned for the day to really pay attention to his warning signs. 

Yu, however, was paying much better attention, and had been worried by the number of people wearing face masks he had seen on the flight.  While Yosuke hadn’t verbalized how he was feeling, Yu could tell he looked a little flushed and when he mentioned needing water it definitely made him concerned.  Yosuke managed to maintain his high energy level once they stepped off the plane, excitedly telling Yu that he couldn’t believe he was actually in another country as they headed to pick up their luggage, but it didn’t stop Yu from carefully watching him.  Once they got into the taxi that would take them to their hotel, Yosuke definitely began to show signs of illness, and Yu could tell he was trying his best to fight it.  Yu waited until they were actually in their hotel room to approach him, reaching up with a cool hand and pressing it against his forehead, holding steady when Yosuke tried to shy away last minute.  Yu frowned.  “You have a fever,” he said, going into his bag and searching through for the small box he had brought with first aid supplies.  He always liked to be prepared and knew he had some medicine Yosuke could take.

“I’m fine!” Yosuke lied.  “It’s just really hot here so I’m a little warm. It’s not a big deal – nothing a dip in the ocean can’t cure!”

Yu shot him a cold look, and Yosuke immediately snapped his mouth shut while looking guilty.  He sighed and sat on the bed, starting to feel achy and chilly at the same time.  “Dammit,” he said softly, accepting the bottle of water Yu handed him along with the packet of aspirin.  He popped the medicine into his mouth before taking a sip of the water and swallowing it down.  He really began to feel the scratch in his throat after that and let out a light cough, before realizing just how foggy his head felt.  He couldn’t take the chill anymore and crawled across the bed before sliding in under the covers, trembling a little as he curled into a ball for warmth.  “Dammit,” he repeated squeezing his eyes shut as he buried his head between the pillows.

He suddenly felt a cool hand on the back of his neck before it carefully drifted to his shoulder and tugged gently until Yosuke was forced onto his back.  Yu was kneeling next to him and had pulled out a cool compress pack he had brought along.  He carefully placed it on Yosuke’s forehead.  His hand trailed along the side of his face, before feeling at the hair at the back of his head, noting that it was already starting to get damp with sweat from the fever.  “I can’t believe I’m ruining the honeymoon,” Yosuke coughed, and Yu shook his head.

“I believe our vows included “in sickness”,” he gently reminded Yosuke, encouraging him to drink more of the water before he capped the lid and set it on the bedside table.  “You are certainly not going out today though.  I’m sure later I can get room service to set us up something nice for dinner though.  You should definitely sleep for now.”

Yosuke coughed again.  “Take lots of pictures of the dolphins,” he said glumly, since they had planned on going on a dolphin watching boat tour that afternoon.

Yu stretched out next to Yosuke, reaching out and tilting Yosuke’s head until it was resting on his shoulder.  “I’m not going anywhere,” he replied, running his fingers through Yosuke’s hair soothingly even though his locks were damp with sweat.

“I don’t want you sitting around stuck here with me,” Yosuke protested.  “I’m just going to fall asleep.  Go and make sure at least one of us enjoys this trip!”

Yu shook his head.  “You’ve got a fever.  Of course I’m not going anywhere,” he said firmly, and Yosuke pouted.

“You’re so stubborn,” he complained, and Yu grinned at him.

“I have to be around you,” he hummed, before kissing the top of his hair.  “Rest.  I’ll make sure when you wake up you’ll have something warm to eat.  Hopefully by then you’ll be hungry.”  Their last meal had been lunch on the plane; Yosuke had definitely been looking forward to eating something much nicer on the island. 

“If you’re going to stay here, stop hovering around me before I get you sick,” Yosuke replied, shoving Yu lightly.  “You’re crowding my space anyway.”

Yu didn’t want to leave his husband’s side, but knew Yosuke had a point and reluctantly got up and headed to the small couch.  He pulled out his phone to message the others and update Yosuke’s parents, while keeping an eye on the brunet, not relaxing until his eyes finally drifted closed.  It was certainly unfortunate that Yosuke had gotten sick on their first day, but Yu honestly didn’t mind spending time having Yosuke to himself, even if the other man was sleeping.  He watched his breathing slow as he fell asleep, occasionally interrupted by a light cough, before switching over to pull out his kindle for some light reading as he relaxed.  He knew Yosuke would recover quickly – he always did – and be fine by tomorrow and that they’d be able to enjoy the rest of their vacation as planned.  But for today he was content to watch over his husband and nurse him back to health.


	21. Your hair keeps falling into your eyes, do you know that? Here, lemme just—

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lody sent me a request on Tumblr “Your hair keeps falling into your eyes, do you know that? Here, lemme just—” She left it open for me to pick who the "hairy" one was lol and I decided to go with Yu because I thought it would be fun to see our stoic protagonist flustered for a change :)

Yosuke and Yu were sitting on the rooftop for lunch as was their usual practice, sitting at an angle to each other so they could face each other as they chatted.  Yu had made them both ginger pork for lunch, which Yosuke had expressed enthusiasm over, reminding Yu, to his surprise, that it was the first lunch Yu had ever made for him.  Yu, of course, had remembered and had picked the meal for that very purpose, but he hadn’t expected Yosuke to notice.  “You seemed to like it last time,” he replied, and Yosuke grinned.

“I like everything you make, dude,” he replied.  “But, if you’re taking requests…”  He trailed off thoughtfully.  “Maybe you can make steak so I can rub it in Chie’s face.”  He grinned at the idea, while Yu shook his head.

“Instead of making a steak bento, wouldn’t it be better for me to make you stew again?” he asked, watching as Yosuke’s eyes lit up in surprise.

“You noticed?” he asked in awe, his cheeks turning a bit pink.  Yu couldn’t help but feel flushed himself, although he carefully kept his face under control so Yosuke wouldn’t notice.  Yu reached up with a hand to brush his bangs out of his eyes as he watched his friend’s flustered expression.  He didn’t know how the brunet always seemed to take him by surprise with his cute expressions.

“Of course I noticed,” Yu replied before stopping to take another bite of pork.  “I would have made that today but we were out of steak.  So, I figured your first meal would be a good substitute.”

Yosuke cleared his throat and looked away, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.  “Man.  You really know how to make a guy feel lame,” he chuckled, and Yu blinked at him in surprise.  “I mean, you notice all this stuff about people, and I’m over here trying to come up with ways to mess with Chie.”  He looked bashful, and honestly at the current moment he had a point, but Yu shook his head.

“You’re thoughtful too,” he replied.  Yosuke looked up at him hopefully, and Yu sat down his chopsticks.  “You’re always looking out for Teddie, for one thing.  He probably thinks you’re just nagging him, but I can tell you do it because you care.”  He internally grinned at Yosuke’s expression which had twisted as he tried to unpack Yu’s words.  He was obviously struggling between wanting to argue his point and deciding whether or not it was really a compliment.  As Yu waited, he found himself flipping his head slightly in order to try to get the hair out of his eyes.  It looked like his bangs were due for a trim again.

His thoughts were interrupted as something suddenly blocked his vision, and he realized with a start that Yosuke was leaning over him.  “Your hair keeps falling into your eyes, do you know that?  Here, lemme just…” Yosuke said, brushing Yu’s bangs back from his face and sliding a headband over his head in order to keep it pulled back.  Yosuke often would pull out the headband when washing his face so he wouldn’t get his own hair wet.  This time Yu was unable to hold back the blush as he watched, transfixed by Yosuke’s face being so close to his own.  Yosuke didn’t appear to notice, being so focused on brushing all the strands of hair out of Yu’s face and adjusting the headband.  When he finally stepped back and flashed Yu a grin, the silver haired teen couldn’t help but feel his heart thrum painfully in his chest.  _That_ had certainly been unexpected.

Yosuke tilted his head.  “Dude, you ok?” he asked, looking a little worried at Yu’s odd reaction.  Yu cleared his throat, realizing it was suddenly very dry.

“I’m great,” he said, reaching up and touching his hair.  He wasn’t used to his hair being pulled back like that and couldn’t help but feel awkward over it.  Yosuke batted his hand away before sitting down to finish his pork. 

“You look fine, partner, don’t worry about it,” he said casually, and Yu found himself staring at Yosuke yet again.  The brunet had taken to calling him that lately, and Yu was finding himself enjoying it more and more each day.  Yosuke didn’t use that term for anyone else, and Yu liked to think it was because they were close.  He took the last bite of his own pork before washing it down with some tea, suddenly wishing he had his bangs back so he could hide behind them like usual.  He felt more exposed this way, especially with his feelings in a turmoil over who was fast becoming his best friend.

“You know, you just proved my point again,” he said, trying to keep his voice its normal even tone.  Yosuke looked at him questioningly, and Yu gazed back straightforwardly.  “What you just did shows you pay attention too,” he explained, and Yosuke immediately tried to deny it.

“Anyone would be able to tell you were bothered by your hair being in your eyes,” he replied, and Yu shook his head.

“Even if that were true, most wouldn’t do what you just did,” he said, pointing at the headband in his hair.  Yosuke seemed stumped by that one, and Yu took the small victory in favor of Yosuke’s self-esteem.  When the bell rang to signify the end of lunch, as Yu followed Yosuke back downstairs, he couldn’t help but reach up and feel at his hair again.  He distinctly remembered the feel of Yosuke’s fingers as they ran through his hair and the way his tongue slightly poked out between his lips as he focused on the task.  Yu bit his lip as he brought his hand back down, suddenly finding that while he did feel exposed, he didn’t mind the headband so much, mainly because it was Yosuke’s. 


	22. I won't just use my Persona to protect you, I'll give it everything I've got.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> silverdragon889 on Tumblr sent me this really awesome line for an ask " "I won't just use my Persona to protect you, I'll give it everything I've got." I tweaked it slightly to "I won't use" - I hope you don't mind ^^

Yu was having a rough day. The usually calm and collected leader of the Investigation Team had been making lots of little mistakes in the Shadow World all evening, and while they up until now hadn’t lead to any major issues or been a cause for concern, it was almost as if they had been slowly building until this moment.  Yu had totally missed Rise’s comment about the characteristics of the particular shadow they were fighting and had unleashed a zionga spell on the large beetle they were facing, which immediately repelled back and directly hit him, causing him to fall back in surprise.  Fortunately, his currently equipped Persona Dominion was null to electricity so he didn’t actually get hurt, but it did startle him and cause him to drop his guard.  While he sat on the ground panting, feeling foolish as around him he could faintly hear the sounds of the dungeon’s 8-bit video game music, he was surprised when his vision was interrupted by a shadow that blocked the light from above.

Yu looked up, startled to see the confident stance of his partner, Hanamura Yosuke.  Yosuke was standing between him and the shadow, while lightly tapping his foot to the sound of the music Yu could faintly hear coming from his headphones.  Yu honestly couldn’t blame him from wanting to block the music in the dungeons – the pounding beat in Rise’s especially had given him a headache after awhile.  He was surprised, however, that Yosuke was standing in front of him defensively instead of helping him up, and if he was honest it stung his pride a bit, especially after his slip ups all day.  “Yosuke, I can take care of myself,” Yu said, standing back up, and Yosuke shook his head before turning to glance at him.

“I know that partner,” he said, “but let me handle this one.”   He then smirked at Yu, causing the silver haired teen’s heart to skip a beat in surprise. “I won’t even use my Persona to protect you – I’ll give it everything I’ve got!” he said expertly flipping his dagger in his hand before turning back and facing the beetle.  He rushed at it before leaping up, flipping in the air for more force and slamming down on the beetle while stabbing it with his dagger. As he did so he also pushed off the beetle with his hands and landed on the other side of it while it hissed furiously at him, before grinning as he dodged its counter attack.  Yu watched in amazement as Yosuke played a dangerous dance with the beetle, leaping and flipping around it as he dodged and expertly weaved in attacks inbetween.  Chie and Yukiko were also watching in amazement, stopping to take a breather and enjoying the quick break since Yosuke had seemed so confident about taking it on.  A few moments later, Yosuke finally dealt the final blow and slid his headphones down to his shoulders.

“Did I look cool or what?” he asked with a wink as he shot the others a grin.

“You may have looked a little cool…up until about the moment you opened your big mouth,” Chie grinned. While Yosuke protested, Yu felt himself in a trance as he replayed Yosuke’s fluid movements in his head.  Yu already knew what a great fighter Yosuke was, and a strategist besides, but it hadn’t really hit him until that moment just how  _hot_  Yosuke looked in battle. And now, as the faint blush creeped onto his cheeks, he couldn’t unsee it.

“Partner, I looked cool, didn’t I?” Yosuke’s whining voice interrupted his thoughts.  Yu had to blink for a moment as he looked over at Yosuke’s begging face and Chie’s smirk.  Yukiko was behind both of them giggling at their antics.

“Yeah, you looked really cool,” Yu said with a soft grin, causing Yosuke to look startled for a moment before a huge grin crossed his face.

“See?” he asked Chie victoriously, while she rolled her eyes.

“Of course  _he’s_  gonna say that,” she huffed.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Yosuke asked in exasperation, and Chie just rolled her eyes in reply.

“I think she’s referring to how Yu-kun watched in adoration as you defended his honor,” Yukiko replied serenely as both Yosuke and Yu started at her while looking flabbergasted.

“Wha-at?” Yosuke and Yu both asked at the same time, before their eyes met and they both turned a bit pink and looked away.  “You’re crazy, Yukiko-chan,” Yosuke added, while Yu carefully avoided both girl’s knowing gaze.  He then cleared his throat.

“I think we’ve gotten far enough today team,” he said.  “How about we head back for the night?”


	23. I wasn't lying when I said that I loved you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lody on Tumblr sent me an ask with the line "I wasn't lying when I said that I loved you." It ended up not really being as angsty as the line indicated - I hope you still enjoy ^^

“Yu, I have something to tell you,” Yosuke said.  He was fidgeting nervously and almost lost his nerve when his partner turned his gray eyes to him.  As always, Yu waited patiently for Yosuke to speak, merely nodding his head and giving him his full attention to show that he was listening.  Yosuke bit his lip as he worked up his nerve.  He had promised himself that while Yu was visiting for the summer he’d finally confess and tell him how he felt; his feelings hadn’t fully hit him until after Yu had left, and Yosuke thought it was important to get it off his chest and tell him in person.  He knew that whatever happened, their friendship was strong enough to overcome it, but it didn’t stop it from being anymore nerve-wracking.  He had even brought Yu to the riverbank since it was where their bond had strengthened last year.  Yosuke let out a long breath before saying, “I love you.” 

He stared up at Yu after he said it, anxiety whirling in his stomach as he waited nervously for his response.  Yu stared at him for several moments, expression blank as he considered his words, before something appeared to click in his head.  “I love you too, Yosuke,” he said evenly, and Yosuke felt as if the ground suddenly fell from under his feet.  Out of all the things Yu could have said, that was the one thing Yosuke hadn’t expected.  Especially so straightforwardly.

“R-really?” Yosuke asked, and Yu nodded.

“Of course,” he said, looking puzzled by Yosuke’s reaction.  The brunet’s eyebrows furrowed as he regarded Yu for a long moment.  While Yu was more reserved in his reactions, Yosuke was pretty good at reading him and expected something more than Yu’s usual calm to the fact they had just both confessed to each other.

“O…k….” Yosuke said, “Well, then how about I treat you to dinner then?” he asked.

Yu nodded and turned to walk back to town, figuring they’d probably be eating at Aiya’s, while Yosuke had a sinking feeling in his stomach.  Something was definitely off; Yu was acting way too nonchalant about this.  “Hey, partner,” Yosuke said, causing Yu to stop and tilt his head at him.  “Do you…understand what just happened?  Why I brought you here.”

Yu was quiet for a moment.  “To reminisce, I suppose,” he said, and Yosuke felt cold dread form in his gut.

“Anything else?” he asked hopefully, and he watched Yu struggle to think, obviously looking concerned over the fact he appeared to be missing something.

Yosuke let out a sigh, feeling defeated, and shrugged his shoulders.  “Let’s go eat I guess,” he said, making his way past Yu and heading down the path that lead back to the shopping district.  He was suddenly stopped as Yu placed his hand on Yosuke’s shoulder.

“Wait a minute.  What am I missing?” he asked.  Yosuke turned, and the ‘Nothing’ he was planning to say died on his lips.  Yu was now the one looking anxious, and it made Yosuke’s chest clench to see him that way.

It was hard to come up with a reply though, because Yosuke was beginning to realize that although Yu had said he loved him, it was honestly more like a rejection.  Yosuke thought long and hard for a moment, arms crossed as he considered his words.  “I wasn’t…lying when I said I loved you,” he said finally, and Yu looked confused.

“I wasn’t lying either,” he said.

“But I don’t think you got my meaning,” Yosuke replied.  “I didn’t mean, like a friend.”  He stared at Yu, face flushed as he desperately hoped he would catch onto his meaning.  Suddenly, realization appeared to have struck, because Yu’s face began to flush as well.  And suddenly Yu was sitting on the ground as his legs gave out as Yosuke stared down at him in astonishment.

“You mean?” Yu asked, and Yosuke nodded his head while kneeling down next to him.

“You ok, partner?” he asked, placing a hand on Yu’s shoulder.  To his surprise, Yu reached over and placed his own hand over Yosuke’s before staring him directly in the eyes.  Yosuke stared back, surprised by how amazed and frankly moved Yu looked.

“You really love me?” Yu asked, and Yosuke let out a breath.

“Yeah dude, I’ve only had to tell you like three times!” he said, although he had a teasing grin on his face.  “I even tried to ask you out on a date!”

“But you always buy me dinner,” Yu pointed out.  “Even when I try to pay instead.”

Yosuke blushed.  “Well…I guess I can’t argue that one,” he muttered, then was surprised as Yu suddenly slid forward so he could rest his head against Yosuke’s chest while his hands gripped at his shoulders.  Yosuke grinned before wrapping his arms around Yu’s back.

“I worked up all that courage to confess too,” Yosuke pretended to sigh, grinning when Yu clutched at his shirt. 

“Yosuke,” he said softly, and Yosuke rested his chin on top of Yu’s head.

“Hm?” he asked.

“I love you too,” Yu said, and this time Yosuke felt warmth travel through his body at his words.  He smiled before sliding down so he could pull Yu into a hug, the silver haired teen’s head pressed against his shoulder.  “Also, I’m going to buy dinner this time.”

“Hey, I already called dibs,” Yosuke replied, and Yu grinned up at him.

“But we both agreed it wouldn’t feel like a date since you do it anyway,” he said pointedly.

“I never said that,” Yosuke said in dismay, and Yu pulled away to really study his face and look at him.  Yosuke felt himself squirm as Yu’s eyes studied his face, and he at first shyly looked away until he found himself curiously meeting Yu’s eyes.  He realized he had never really stared Yu in the eyes before at such a close proximity, and he felt himself immediately drawn in.  He didn’t realize how many different shades of gray existed in his eyes before and he felt fascinated. 

“I would still like to,” Yu replied.  “Please?”

Yosuke couldn’t argue with that, not when Yu was giving him such a hopeful expression.  “Fine,” he said.  “I guess I do buy you dinner a lot.  I kind of had it all planned out though…that is if you had somehow returned my feelings.  I also had some topsicles waiting in the fridge if you didn’t,” he joked.

Yu smiled at him, and Yosuke stood up before offering his hand to his partner.  Yu gladly accepted it and allowed Yosuke to help him up.  Yosuke then slung his arm around Yu, and it would have almost felt like old times except for the fact that Yu wrapped his arm around Yosuke’s waist in return, causing the brunet’s heart to flutter.  Yu watched Yosuke’s expression and grinned.  “That’s how you make me feel every time,” he admitted, and Yosuke looked horrified.

“Why didn’t you say anything,” he asked as they began to walk toward Aiya’s.

“Because I liked it,” Yu replied simply, and Yosuke shook his head.

“Now I feel like I was somehow being a tease,” he moaned, and Yu tightened his grip on Yosuke’s waist. 

“That was only every time you called me partner,” Yu replied stoically, and Yosuke turned to stare at him.

“Really?” he asked, eyes wide, and if it wasn’t for the fact he could read Yu so well, he may have bought his impassive expression.  There was the slightest hint of his lips turning up at the corners that gave him away though.  “Dude, that wasn’t nice,” Yosuke said, causing Yu to break out into a grin.

“It did make my heart skip the first time you did it though,” he admitted, and Yosuke blushed while looking away.

“Am I really a tease?” he asked himself, causing Yu to chuckle.

“You’re my tease,” Yu replied thoughtfully, and Yosuke shook his head.

“Partner, you’re the worst,” he said, while tightening his grip around Yu’s shoulders.  They then reached Aiya’s and headed inside, looking forward to their first real date together.


	24. Chill Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wikkedwolff on Tumblr sent me an ask to write Souyo trapped in a small space together. For some reason I really wanted it to be rainy so at least one of them would be soaked haha I hope you enjoy :D

There are all different kinds of rain.  It can be warm or it could be cold.  Sometimes it was a mist, other times a drizzle, or it even could be a downpour.  Often it was small warm droplets that may get you a wet, but since it’s warm out it isn’t too bad, but some days like today it was the big, fat and chilly rain droplets that drove the temperature down and left you shivering as it soaked through your clothes.  It was also windy which meant that Yu’s umbrella that he dutifully had brought to class with him ended up not doing much more than keep his hair semi-dry.  When Yu finally spotted his apartment up ahead, he let out a sigh of relief, ready to be out of the buffeting wind and rain so he could take a hot shower and dry off. 

To his surprise, right as he stepped into the lobby of his apartment, he ran into Yosuke who was about to head out to his night class.  It was always a treat the rare moments they both got to see each other during the day since their schedules were so opposite of each other.  Yosuke worked during the day and took night classes, while Yu had a stacked school schedule during the day and had a part time job on weekends.  It made it very difficult for the boyfriends to spend quality time together so they often took every little opportunity they could to see each other.  As Yosuke was doing right now.  “Partner, you’re soaked,” he said, reaching up to wipe Yu’s damp bangs out of his eyes.  Yu appreciated the motion since the water was dripping into his eyes and making it hard to see.  “Let’s get you warmed up,” he added, tugging Yu toward the elevator. 

Yu followed without hesitation, relieved to be in Yosuke’s capable hands, although he did give a weak protest.  “Won’t you be late for class?” he asked.

“I was heading out early so I could study a bit before class started,” Yosuke shrugged.  “So, we’ve got a little time.”  He shot a grin at Yu that immediately shut him up, and he found that while he was externally still chilled from the rain, internally he felt quite warm now that he was in Yosuke’s presence.  Outside, they could hear rumbles of thunder, and Yu realized that the storm was about to pick up.  Maybe it would be better for Yosuke to wait until it died down outside anyway; Yu wouldn’t want him walking to the train in a thunderstorm.

Yosuke took Yu’s silence as acquiescence and had no trouble ushering him into the elevator, where he began fussing with Yu, noting his blue lips and pale skin from the cold.  “You should have worn a rain jacket,” he frowned, his own jacket snuggly zipped, and Yu shook his head.

“I didn’t realize it would get so cold,” he admitted.  “Or be so windy.”

Their conversation was cut short by a very loud zapping noise next to their apartment, followed by a thundering boom that sounded almost like a bomb and shook the building right before the subsequent crash of thunder.  At the same exact moment, the elevator was suddenly flooded by darkness as the power to the apartment was cut due to the transformer blowing.  “Shit,” Yosuke cursed, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the difference in lighting.  “You ok?” he asked, reaching blindly for Yu until he found his arm. 

“Yeah,” Yu replied, shivering as he also waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark.  He walked over to press the emergency button, but quickly realized without power it wasn’t going to work.  He then tried the doors, and Yosuke stepped in to help, but when they pushed them open they realized the elevator was stuck between floors and there was no space for them to try to squeeze onto the floor above or below.  So, they slid the doors back shut and exchanged glances in the dim emergency lighting.

“Well, I guess I’m probably not going to class after all,” Yosuke joked, and Yu frowned.

“I’m sorry, Yosuke,” he replied, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.

“It was my idea, remember?  Besides, when have you ever seen me complain about skipping class?” he grinned.  He then pulled out his phone and squinted at it, holding it at different angles until he managed to get a good signal, before typing out a message to his professor and hitting send.  “Besides, this professor actually likes me and thinks I’m a good student.  I’m sure she’ll understand,” he quipped.  He actually enjoyed this particular class which was a music elective, and he was surprisingly one of the most attentive students in class for a change.

Yu chuckled before correcting, “It’s because you are a good student,” he pointed out.  “Once you’re finally interested in the material you completely change your tune.”

Yosuke blushed before sliding his phone back into his pocket.  He then carefully looked at Yu who was shivering pretty violently.  While it was warmer in the building than outside, he was chill from the cold rain and wasn’t really warming up.  Yosuke frowned.  “Well, our first priority is getting you warmed up,” he decided.  “Take off your shirt.”

Yu stared at him in surprise.  “In an elevator, Yosuke?” he asked, and Yosuke let out a huff.

“If you keep those cold wet clothes on, you’re going to get sick,” he pointed out.  “Do I need to help you?”

Yu quickly shook his head before he slid his shirt up and over his shoulders, revealing his tone chest and lightly defined muscles that Yosuke often enjoyed tracing with his fingertips or using as a pillow.  Today, however, he was all business.  “Pants too,” he said, tugging off Yu’s belt as the silver haired man stepped out of his shoes and socks before sliding his pants down and off.  He felt quite foolish standing in nothing but his briefs in the elevator, and he found himself carefully folding and neatly stacking his soaked clothes in order to get his mind off of his discomfort.  Yosuke, meanwhile, was rummaging through his bag, and pulled out his gym clothes and a towel; he often would work out after his night class since it was the only time during the day he had enough time to get on the treadmill. 

He threw the towel at Yu, laughing when it landed on his boyfriend’s face, while Yu shook his head and gratefully toweled himself dry, before accepting Yosuke’s offered clothes.  They were tight on him, and the sweats especially were a little short, but he much preferred having something to wear to feeling so exposed in public and appreciated it.  To his surprise, Yosuke then slid off his jacket and wrapped it around Yu’s shoulders, immediately enveloping him in warmth and the citrusy smell of Yosuke’s cologne.  Yu blushed before adjusting it over his shoulders so he could bury his face into the collar and better take in the comforting smell.  Yosuke watched him in amusement, before walking over to the part of the elevator not currently dampened by rain water and plopping down, patting the ground next to him.  Yu quickly joined him, sliding close to Yosuke until he melted against his boyfriend’s side, soaking in his warmth before tentatively resting his head against Yosuke’s shoulder.  He hated getting Yosuke’s shoulder wet, but after 20 minutes in the rain he craved any warmth he could get.  And Yosuke, of course, didn’t seem to mind and instead wrapped his arm around his shoulder, holding him securely at his side.  “Feel better yet?” he asked, and Yu quietly nodded, wrapping his own arm around Yosuke’s waist and gently squeezing.

His shivering had subsided now that he had dry clothes and was soaking in Yosuke’s warmth, and Yu couldn’t help but feel grateful that his boyfriend always seemed to run hotter than he did.  He glanced up at Yosuke, frowning when he realized the rare, serious gaze Yosuke was giving him as he appraised Yu’s condition, and leaned forward to press his lips against his boyfriend’s in order to calm his worry, sighing at how soft and warm they were.  Yosuke leaned into the kiss, valiantly doing his due diligence to warm Yu and get his lips back to a normal color.  When he finally pulled away, both men felt significantly warmer, and Yu’s lips were finally back to a healthy pink hue.  Yu grinned at him, before asking about how Yosuke’s day went, continuing to snuggle against his shoulder as Yosuke began to weave a tale about another fun day in customer service.  It felt nice, getting to spend uninterrupted time with him, and both men couldn’t help but enjoy this small treat they had been provided by the storm.  They relished being able to participate in small talk, reminiscing over how it reminded them of high school and lazy afternoons spent at each other’s houses or wandering the small town of Inaba.  It felt comforting, so when the power finally flickered back on and the elevator began to bring them back up to their floor, they couldn’t help but feel slight disappointment as they pulled apart and began to gather their items.

Yosuke checked the time on his phone, however, and realized he was already an hour late to class and had received a message from his professor excusing him for the day.  “Well, looks like you have me all to yourself tonight,” he said, grinning at Yu.

Yu looked excited at the idea, and as they finally stepped off the elevator he said, “Well, once I take a hot shower, how about I reward you with a nice warm meal and we settle in for a movie?”

Yosuke beamed at him.  “Man, it’s a rare treat when I get to eat your food fresh from the stove,” he said.  Often, he had to eat it as leftovers due to having class, while on weekends Yosuke cooked since Yu had work.  “Sounds like a date!”

Yu grinned, and they both headed into their apartment, ready for a relaxing night in.


	25. You named the Raichu Izanagi?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silverdraggon889 on Tumblr sent me a prompt ""You named the Raichu Izanagi? Really Yosuke?" on Tumblr. Fortunately I am actually a fan of Pokemon and played the games growing up, collected the cards, watched the anime, and play Pokemon Go XD I wasn't sure at first if I wanted to set it in the Pokemon universe or base it around playing Pokemon Go and went with the latter. I hope you enjoy this niche story ^^

Yu and Yosuke were wandering the city with their phones out, looking for raids and spinning Poké stops that they encountered along the way.  They had just finished up an Alolan Raichu raid and were checking the stats of the Raichu they had each captured, when Yu noticed Yosuke’s face scrunch up like he was thinking before he began to type something on his keyboard.  Intrigued, Yu glanced over his shoulder before raising an eyebrow.  “You named the Raichu Izanagi?  Really, Yosuke?” he asked incredulously, and Yosuke blushed before looking at him defensively.

“And what’s wrong with that?” he asked.  “Raichu uses lightning moves, Izanagi uses lightning moves, it sounds perfect to me!”  Although the Alolan Raichu was psychic and electric, Yosuke had managed to capture one with an electric move set.

Yu continued to give Yosuke an amused glance, causing Yosuke to huff before grabbing his phone to look at his names.  “Partner…your Pokémon are all named shit like Exegudragon and Slowpsy,” he accused.

Yu nodded.  “So when we’re battling I know which move set they have,” he explains.  “Sometimes I include their IV too,” he added, proudly pointing it out.

Yosuke stared at him for a few silent moments before muttering, “When you picked Team Mystic, you really chose well, didn’t you.”

Yu chuckled, before taking Yosuke’s phone so he could scroll through some of the names.  He was surprised to see all of their friends and their perspective Personas named, along with musicians Yosuke liked and some of his favorite anime and video game characters.  He wasn’t surprised to see that Yosuke’s Greninja that he insisted on walking with even though he didn’t need the buddy candy was named Jiraiya, although he was surprised to see that Yu was a low level Pikachu.

“Why Pikachu?” he asked curiously, glancing up at Yosuke. 

He looked embarrassed and kicked at the ground before truthfully admitting, “Well, I did the trick to make Pikachu my starter Pokémon.  What else was I going to name him, other than my partner?” he asked.  “And although the starter really isn’t that great, I can’t bring myself to get rid of him,” he admitted.

Yu felt his heart warm before handing Yosuke back his phone.  “It sounds like you being Team Instinct is also an apt choice,” he commented, eyes giving his boyfriend a fond look.  “Maybe I should name one of my Pokémon Yosuke,” he mused.

“It better be something cool,” Yosuke replied.  “Like your shiny Charizard!”

“Hmmm, maybe a flying Pokémon,” Yu hummed thoughtfully.  “Something that knows sky attack or brave bird.”  Yosuke couldn’t help but feel some anticipation as Yu began to scroll through his list.

“You know, Charizard is technically half flying,” Yosuke whispered, and Yu rolled his eyes at him.  He wanted something that felt more like Yosuke, and shiny Charizard was black and red which didn’t really fit his aesthetic.

“Hmmm, maybe my shiny Ho-Oh,” Yu mused.  Yosuke had traded it to him due to having an extra, and Yu had been fortunate enough for it to turn lucky during the trade.  It had been his highest CP Pokémon for quite awhile until the mega evolved Pokémon finally rolled out.  Even then it was still pretty high up there.  He had a personal attachment to it due to the fact that Yosuke had been the one to trade it to him, and he thought the colors somehow matched both of them with its orange and silver.

“Oh, the lucky one I traded you?” Yosuke asked, intrigued as Yu clicked the edit the name and typed his name in. 

“The very one,” Yu grinned at him, before turning his phone for Yosuke to see.  Yosuke proud at seeing his name there before grinning at him.

“Maybe I should name you after my Lugia,” he mused, and Yu chuckled.  “I’m fine with being your partner Pikachu,” he teased, nudging Yosuke’s shoulder with his own.

They then headed to the nearest café to get out of the heat for awhile and they each ordered drinks, Yu his usual green tea and Yosuke a refreshing cold brew.  They sat at one of the tables, dragging their chairs next to each other so they could huddle close, Yosuke leaning on Yu’s shoulder as they spun the Poké stop at the café and chatted about the Pokémon they still hadn’t caught yet.  It was a nice, relaxing afternoon, and they enjoyed each other’s company immensely. 


End file.
